Future Basket
by Onion Jester
Summary: Kagami x Kuroko & Makoto x Haruka (With more other possible pairings in future chapters). Years after their studies, the boys have become men and are finally in the workforce! The story follows their everyday lives and interactions with lots of fluff and humour. Expect many appearances by the GoM as well as the rest of the Iwatobi Team and Samezuka. BL/yaoi.
1. Ch 1: Food Captures the Heart

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : Just a heads up to avoid confusion: this is written like it's a translation of Japanese, so you'll see some grammar and terms accordingly.

Apparently there's a KnB x Free! crossover doujinshi out there, but I couldn't find it. The concept piqued my interest, so I decided to add to the fandom with this story. Every character's career is based off of KnB's Character Bible and Free! Eternal Summer's second ending scene.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 1** : **Food Captures the Heart**

Kagami awoke to the tinkering sound of the toaster in the kitchen. He rolled around in bed, squinting at the rays of morning sunshine seeping through his bedroom curtains. He was a firefighter – recently promoted to first class. The previous day, he had the later shift from 12:00PM to 8:00PM. That day was the same schedule, so he intended to sleep in. But the clacking of pots and pans in the kitchen made him snicker; he eyed his nightstand for his gleaming accessory.

On the surface lay a silver ring with a shiny white band on one edge and a blue band on the other. The center remained a silver stripe with the engraving " _Ebony and Ivory_ " embedded across in English letters. Kagami took the ring and slipped it on his left ring finger, a satisfied sigh escaping him. It was not official, since same-sex marriage in Japan was not recognized; but the redhead still went out of his way to design one-of-a-kind wedding rings to symbolize their new life together. They exchanged rings in the private of their apartment, celebrating with friends the following days. It may not have been grand, but it was sufficient for him and Kuroko, his highschool sweetheart and currently husband.

Another chiming sound came from the toaster, bringing Kagami out of his thoughts. He slipped out of bed and made his way for the kitchen. When he turned the corner of the corridor, he peeked into the kitchen where the bluenet was busily making breakfast and packing his bags for the start of his morning class. As Kuroko removed his apron, he bent down to scoop food into Nigou's bowl. The puppy had grown drastically over the years; if he stood on his hind legs, the tips of his ears would reach Kuroko's chin. Kagami took a peek at Nigou momentarily, who was sprawled over his cushiony bed in the corner of the living room, sound asleep, regardless of the ruckus in the kitchen. He had grown accustomed to the husky, but still grimaced at the oversized dog.

The redhead redirected his attention back at the bluenet. Kuroko was, as he aspired to be, a kindergarten teacher. After years of finishing his major in literature, he had also obtained a teaching certificate. He was able to take care of the children at the nearby school and care for the overgrown child at home. Actually, it was mostly the other way around - Kagami taking care of the former sixth prodigy.

" _Good morning, beautiful_ ," Kagami called out in English with a smile, walking over and leaning on the kitchen island.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko replied as he turned around with a plate of omelets and toast, returning a " _good morning_ " in English as well; His pronunciation had gotten quite well with Kagami's coaching. Kagami grinned at this.

The redhead proceeded to pout playfully. "I told you 'Taiga' is just fine. We're married, geez."

"But I've grown accustomed to calling you 'Kagami-kun'," Kuroko explained with a flat expression, stoic as ever even after all those years. "Calling you by first name feels very foreign to me." He set the plate down and began eating. "I won't hold back."

"I call _you_ 'Tetsuya' now," the redhead stated matter-of-factly, stealing a bite of the omelet. "Woah," his eyes widened briefly at the rather decent omelet. "This is good; you really improved. I taught you well."

Kuroko's face lit up with a smile. "Eggs are my forte," he stated confidently, followed by an insistent "Kagami-kun."

"You little runt," Kagami pursed his lips together then snickered, proceeding to ruffle the other's hair. "I'll graduate you to beef recipes or curry soon, then."

Kuroko combed through his powder blue locks then turned his attention back to the taller man. "I look forward to it," He smiled serenely at Kagami, to which the redhead stared back with his mouth slightly hung open.

After all those years, Kuroko's brighter smiles were still a rare sight to him. And each time he received that sort of expression from him, or that heart-stopping blush up to his ears, Kagami always ended up in a daze. It must have been one of the bluenet's misdirection tricks, because as Kagami snapped out of his trance, Kuroko was already at the genkan all set to leave.

"I packed an evening meal for you today. It's in the fridge," the sixth prodigy pointed to the stainless steel structure before hoisting his bag over his shoulder. "You can make another one yourself if it's not enough. Well, I will be-"

"Tetsuya," Kagami had rushed over to him, standing inches away.

He gazed lovingly into Kuroko's pristine blue eyes with his fiery red ones. Before the bluenet could ask what was the matter, Kagami had cupped his cheek in his hand and bent down to kiss him. Kuroko dropped his bag onto the floor, standing on his tiptoes to wrap his arms around the taller man's neck. After highschool, Kuroko stopped growing at 168cm and Kagami went up to 193cm, much to the shorter man's chagrin. Regardless, he felt secure in his light's enveloping embraces. His ring gleamed in the sunlight, having the exact same design as Kagami's, but with a red stripe instead of blue, and a shiny black stripe instead of white; the English engraving ' _Ebony and Ivory_ ' was also embedded on the silver band. A signification of how they complemented each other in perfect harmony.

Just when Kagami gently pushed forward to deepen the kiss, his phone began buzzing in his pocket. Kuroko broke away from the kiss, albeit reluctantly.

"You should get that. It's probably work paging you for an emergency," he suggested, but was interrupted by another brief kiss by Kagami.

"In a bit," the redhead replied dazedly, diving in for another kiss, "or another two minutes."

Kuroko hopped up and planted a chaste kiss on his nose. "Now." he smiled.

Kagami groaned irritably as he obeyed, fishing his phone out. He shot Kuroko a half-puppy-dog, half-scowl expression, to which the bluenet let out a quiet, airy chuckle.

"See you later, Kagami-kun. Work hard today." He opened the apartment door. "I'll be off now."

"Un," Kagami nodded dejectedly, "You too. Ah!" He suddenly jolted, slightly surprising the bluenet. "I love you! H-Have a safe trip!"

Kuroko blinked then gave a soft smile. "I love you too." He closed the door behind him. "Bye."

As the door clicked, the redhead sighed. He stared at the caller ID of his buzzing phone which read "Tachibana Makoto" and flipped it open to answer.

"Kagami Taiga…speaking," He mentally disciplined himself to remember his speech manners.

"Hey, it's Makoto," came a gentle reply from his fellow firefighter, "good morning, Taiga-kun!"

"Ah, good morning, Tachibana-senpai. What's up?"

On Makoto's side of the phone, the tall brunet sat idly at the couch. His green eyes wandered briefly to the figure standing to his far right in the kitchen – Haruka, his partner in life, was grilling mackerel like every morning, along with various other breakfast dishes. Haruka was donned in nothing but an apron and swimming jammers; his black hair still shined and trickled with water droplets from the cold morning bath. Makoto gulped.

"Hello? Hey, Tachibana-senpai?"

"Ah, yes! Hi!" Makoto blubbered when he snapped back to the conversation, face heating up.

"Yeah…you called for…?" Kagami raised a brow.

"Oh no, I was just calling to tell you that you have the same schedule as me now. And I'll show you how to prepare incident reports today, ok?" He chirped. "Oh and 'Makoto' is fine – we've been coworkers for so long," he added.

"Ah, yeah. Okay."

"…"

"…"

Kagami cleared his throat awkwardly. "Is there anything else, uhh…Makoto-senpai?"

"Huh? Oh, that's all." The brunet laughed sheepishly.

"Aw man, senpai…" Kagami groaned irritably as he massaged the bridge of his nose. He lost a tender moment with Kuroko for _this_. "You could tell me these things at work instead, you know?" He grumbled.

Makoto chuckled embarrassedly, "Aha, yeah that's true…I'm sorry for the disturbance."

"It's fine. I'll catch you later for the day's tip-off, senpai." The redhead sighed with a determined grin.

"Yeah, get ready for your first dive as first-class firefighter, Taiga-kun!" Makoto cheered calmly.

"Bye."

With a flip of his phone, Makoto put his cell on the coffee table before him. He did not mean to call the former Seirin ace; as he stared longingly at Haruka's bare back, he absentmindedly dialed Kagami's number. Before he knew it, the redhead had picked up and Makoto panicked enough to (ironically) improvise a conversation with him. Makoto was a first-class fireman himself, promoted almost a year before Kagami joined the force. Both had become fast work buddies and, eventually, good friends.

"Makoto," Haruka called out monotonously at the dining table, "breakfast is done."

"Ah, alright." The brunet stood up and walked over.

Nanase Haruka, or "Haru", as addressed endearingly by Makoto, worked as a sous-chef at a reputable brunch restaurant in the Ginza district. After graduating from culinary school, he landed the job at the newly opened restaurant; supposedly the chef/proprietor hired him because he blew him away with a particular dessert.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world!" Makoto chuckled as he planted a chaste kiss on Haruka's temple. Haruka snorted and was about to retort with something snarky, but the brunet cut him to it. "Not only because Haru is my personal chef, but also because…" He bent down to press his forehead against his lover's. "Only I get to enjoy the entire~ set of your skills and talents."

Haruka's eyes momentarily widened before he bent backwards to flick Makoto's forehead with his fingers. "Pervert."

"Ehhh?" The brunet whined, massaging the pinked spot on his forehead. "I was only talking about your artistic skills and talents!"

"Sure you were," Haruka deadpanned with a tiny blush forming on his cheekbones.

Makoto brightened with amusement. "I was," He whispered huskily as he reached his arms out, from which Haruka whirled away.

"Got to eat; or I'm going to be late for work," Haruka muttered, sitting himself down and pulling the plates toward himself.

The fireman chuckled, agreeing with his partner to leave it at that; he sat himself across Haruka. Occasionally, between bites of his breakfast, he took secretive peeks at Haruka's ring finger.

* * *

"Hah…" Makoto breathed a tired sigh as he sat at a table in the fire station cafeteria.

Evening had fallen. The streetlights were already lit in spite of the purple-orange glow that still coloured the skies. Makoto unpacked his reheated dinner, lifting the lid and allowing the steam to fizz out. There were two layers of the box, each with two compartments; the first had stir-fried prawns and rice on one side, and sautéed vegetables in the other; the second had grilled mackerel slices on one side and mini sausages cut to look like octopuses in the other.

"Oh man, that looks good." Kagami sat across from him, salivating at the sight of his senpai's meal. "Must be nice to have a chef as a significant other." He stacked two empty bento boxes beside him, proceeding to open the third which was packed by Kuroko (saved the best for last).

The large box had a tray with two compartments stacked halfway above the container. On one side of the tray were scrambled eggs while the other had apple slices cut to look like rabbits. Kagami lifted the tray out of the container to reveal a giant ball of rice with pieces of nori arranged on it to look like an angry face. Around the rice ball was a wreath of slices of hardboiled eggs.

"So cuuuuuuute!" Makoto chirped with some chuckles.

"Stop that, senpai!" Kagami furrowed his eyebrows at the brunet, blushing fervently, then dug into his meal. "What does he think I am? One of his kindergarten kids?"

Makoto gave him a teasing smile. "You say that, but you're really, really happy inside, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," the redhead waved him off.

He paused, about to dig his chopsticks into the rice ball. Reluctantly, he pulled a portion of the rice off. He would not admit it, but he felt somewhat disappointed to have ruined something his special someone had intricately prepared for him. He quickly put that thought aside, however, when his ears perked up in surprise as he tasted something. In the center of the rice ball was a filling made of roughly-mashed tuna mixed with mayo – an instant burst of flavour ambushing him from behind bland rice.

"Uwah-ha!" Makoto leaned forward as he let out an impressed gasp. "Tetsuya-kun is full of surprises." It was certainly refreshing after some time of seeing only hardboiled eggs in a separate lunch container that Kagami always packed along.

"Hrm," Kagami grunted with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, masking a subtle moan of pleasure. " _Damn him. He's using misdirection in cooking now too?_ " He cursed mentally. "What kind of cooking tricks is Haruka-san teaching him?" He asked.

"Heh?" Makoto sweated a little – he had been found out. "How did you know Tetsuya-kun was taking secret lessons from Haru?" He asked sheepishly.

Kagami pointed to the filling in his rice ball. "Who else would have taught him how to prepare _tuna_ -mayo filling?" He deduced from examining Makoto's lovingly-packed, seafood lunches every day.

"That obvious, huh?" The brunet let out an airy chuckle.

A few months back, the station held an exhibition to showcase its firefighting prowess for the new year. It was then that Kuroko and Haruka were introduced to each respective couple; it was also the moment of epiphany that their significant others were, in fact, male – much to their pleasant surprise. Ever since then, it seemed that Haruka and Kuroko were able to establish some sort of rapport regardless of their quiet demeanor. But that was a story for another time.

"Good evening."

The sudden monotonous greeting made Makoto yelp in the falsetto register as it sent a sharp chill up his spine. Kagami only twitched a little; he was already used to it. Makoto whirled around in his seat to find Kuroko standing behind him – face completely void of emotion. Speak of the devil.

"Oh my, it's only Tetsuya-kun." The brunet breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were a ghost."

"How nostalgic - I have been called that back in my basketball days, one way or another," Kuroko responded stoically, although there was a hint of wistfulness in his voice.

"Hey there, Tetsuya," Kagami greeted him calmly, showing a sweet smile.

"Hello, Kagami-kun," Kuroko replied with smiling eyes, "I brought you an extra meal just in case." As he placed the box next to Kagami, the redhead snorted before uttering his thanks – he really knew him well.

"Ah, that's right, Tetsuya-kun and Taiga-kun were part of the champion team of Seirin, and then Vorpal Swords, right?" Makoto exclaimed suddenly. "I heard from Taiga-kun that even back then, you guys were an impressive pair."

Kuroko and Kagami exchanged looks; not before long, the redhead averted his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly; Kuroko cleared his throat, looking away with the faintest tint of red on his cheeks.

"And he was all like 'Uoh! Tetsuya would always keep me level-headed!' with this almighty pose," Makoto mimicked his kouhai, putting his hands on his hips. "And he'd go 'Tetsuya was my shadow while I was his light, but it's even like that outside basketb-.'"

"Senpai!" Kagami interrupted him, a fervent blush dashed across his face.

The brunet attempted to stifle an amused laugh while the corners of Kuroko's lips slowly tilted upwards.

"Oh, I see! 'Light and Shadow', ' _Ebony and Ivory_ '! So that's why Taiga-kun chose that particular phrase to engrave into your rings!" Makoto thumped his fist down onto his palm to emphasize his understanding.

Kagami buried his face under his arms on the table, muffling his embarrassed groans; Kuroko's face brightened even more.

"By the way, how did you propose to Tetsuya-kun?" The brunet tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Ah?" Kagami sat up. "I did it in private at our place – exchanged the rings then and there too." His face then shifted into a smug. "Tetsuya totally cried."

While still facing Makoto, Kuroko swat the palm of his hand to the side onto Kagami's face, comically stifling the redhead.

"Kagami-kun was bawling," he revealed bluntly, roughly rubbing his hand all over Kagami's face like he was washing a window.

The former Seirin ace gently took hold of his wrist. "You little pipsqueak!"

Makoto chuckled at their chemistry. He remembered it clearly – the day that Kagami begged and brought him to various jewellery stores to find the perfect set of rings.

 _About two months ago, the two firemen were on their days off when they agreed to walk the Ginza district for the perfect ring hunt; Ginza, because the brunet wanted an excuse to visit Haruka at his brunch restaurant along the way. After hours of fruitless shopping, Makoto did end up bringing Kagami to Haruka's workplace. The restaurant had already closed by that time. With a brief chime of the copper bell that hung above the entrance, the pair entered the restaurant._

" _Sorry, we're closed for th-"_

" _Haruuu!" Makoto chirped as he jogged towards his partner._

" _Makoto," Haruka stared blankly, "What are you doing here?"_

" _Yo, Haruka-san." Kagami waved tiredly._

 _Haruka nodded in greeting. "It's been a while, Taiga-kun." He pinched and tugged at Makoto's ear before adding, "Thanks for always taking care of this flimsy guy."_

" _So mean, Haru!" Makoto whined playfully._

" _Ah, nah." Kagami darted his eyes everywhere, feeling embarrassed at their displays of affection. "it's senpai who takes care of me, really."_

" _Mm-hmm. That's why I'm taking him ring shopping here." Makoto pointed his forefinger into the air._

" _Ring shopping?" Haruka tilted his head to the side questioningly, to which Makoto only stared back with a cheery smile. Like always, the two seemed to have been telepathically connected; Haruka's eyes widened in understanding, then he turned to give Kagami a small smile. "Congratulations. I hope all goes well with Tetsuya-kun."_

" _Th-thanks." Kagami flushed profusely. "We can't get married officially in Japan, but I still want to do something."_

 _Haruka still held his smile, "How nice."_

 _Makoto eyed him; if he was not mistaken, there was a very obscure hint of envy in his partner's voice._

" _We've been to almost every store in Tokyo, though," Kagami groaned, "I still can't find the perfect set of rings."_

 _Haruka was about to comment, but the restaurant head chef emerged from the kitchen, emitting a dragging voice._

" _Nana-chin~ where did you leave the asymmetrical cake stand~?"_

 _Kagami's jaw dropped and his voice stuck in his throat. The head chef stared at him, humming questioningly before popping up in surprise._

" _Murasakibara!" The redhead pointed rudely at the head chef._

" _What, it's Kami-chin~" Murasakibara slid his voice up in a lazy yet surprised crescendo._

 _Makoto and Haruka's eyes darted back and forth between the former basketball players. The head chef slumped his shoulders and pointed the egg beater in his hand at Kagami._

" _This guy used to play basketball with me back in the Vorpal Swords days~" He explained to the couple._

" _Why do you make it sound like I was an eyesore?!" Kagami roared comically._

" _Uh…'cause you kinda were?" Murasakibara shrugged lazily, earning an annoyed yell from the redhead which he ignored. "Wait a sec~ so you all know each other?"_

" _Yes chef, Taiga-kun is Makoto's colleague at the fire department," Haruka replied stoically._

 _Murasakibara's interest seemed piqued. "Heh~~~? What a small, small, puny world." He marveled a little, then turned his attention back to the redhead. "So Kami-chin's tagging along for the lovey-dovey visit?"_

 _Makoto and Haruka tensed and exchanged glances before turning red._

 _The brunet waved his hands in front of him defensively. "No, that's not it! Well, kind of," He chuckled nervously. "Taiga-kun is looking for wedding rings, so I'm helping him shop. Thought I'd drop by here along the way."_

" _Ah~?" Murasakibara felt delighted to catch up with his old Vorpal Swords teammate despite his half-hearted demeanor; he grew more curious by the second. "Congrats~ You and Kuro-chin seriously hit it off, did you~?"_

" _H-How did you-?" Kagami tensed with shock._

" _Totally obvious chemistry back then…" the head chef interrupted, "Like everybody on the Vorpal Swords team knew one way or another~" He ignored the redhead's nervous stuttering as a thought entered his mind. "Speaking of which~ if you're looking for rings, why don't you check out the jewelry store down the street? Aka-chin totally owns the entire franchise…I can call him to hook you up with the salespeople there."_

 _Kagami was dumbfounded from the chef's sudden goodwill and news of Akashi's flourishing business diversification. "Seriously?"_

" _Serious~" Murasakibara pulled out his cellphone and started dialing Akashi's number. At the sound of the answering click, he perked up slightly. "Hi Aka-chin~ are you busy? I kinda need a favour…"_

" _Wow, I kind of feel star-struck," Makoto chirped quietly. "How does it feel to reunite with some of your teammates?"_

 _Kagami stared at his senpai who was radiating with curiosity. "Uhh…it's okay, I guess," he answered absentmindedly, mostly focused on the conversation that Murasakibara was having._

 _The head chef flipped his phone closed and walked over to Kagami. "Aka-chin says congratulations and do your best for the proposal~"_

 _Kagami stood dumbfounded while Makoto applauded cheerfully behind him. "Uh, um, right. Thanks."_

" _So it's all set~ Kami-chin will just have to meet the manager at the store. Aka-chin also says that if none of the ring designs are to your fancy, the manager will sketch your design," Murasakibara explained. "They'll arrange for the jewelers to personally craft the rings for you and treat it as a priority order. Ah~ and you get 50% discount."_

" _Uwah-ha!" Makoto gasped while Haruka hung his mouth slightly agape in awe. "What an impressive network! Well, what are we waiting for, Taiga-kun?" He gave his kouhai several hearty pats on the back to egg him out of the restaurant. "Let's not have your old teammate's offer go to waste."_

" _Y-yeah. Ah, Murasakibara," Kagami paused and turned back to face the chef. "Thanks, I really owe you and Akashi one. And it was nice seeing you again. Let's play some street ball one day."_

 _Murasakibara smiled. "You're welcome~ bring Kuro-chin along sometime to eat here. I can seriously live well off of only your bills if I wanted to~ Heh." He snickered a little at his own snarky tease towards the gluttonous redhead. "And I'll totally smash you on the court when we play again~"_

 _Kagami replied with a determined grin, "Hah! I'll make you eat your own words. Later! Bye Haruka-san!"_

" _Bye, Murasakibara-san!" Makoto waved to the head chef to which he only grunted in response. "See you later tonight, Haru." He winked at his partner._

 _Haruka blushed slightly. "See you later, Makoto."_

* * *

" _Welcome, dear customer! You must be Kagami Taiga-san, correct? Please come this way."_

 _Upon entering the jewelry store, the manager had already stood at the entrance, waiting for their arrival. She led them to a counter to sit, placing a small notepad and pen on the surface. Makoto's eyes traced every display case while Kagami sat nervously before the manager._

" _So, do you have a particular design on mind?" She asked cheerily._

" _Uh…not really," Kagami replied sheepishly, "I just know they gotta be silver as a base; a size 7 for me, and a size 5 for my partner."_

" _Alright," the manager jotted down some notes onto her notepad. "Well, let's start by telling me about your spouse-to-be. It can help jog your thoughts a little for a design idea."_

" _Uh, yeah…um," He pondered awkwardly. "Well, he's quiet, he likes books, h-he likes vanilla milkshakes…"_

 _The manager chuckled. "Um, let me rephrase. Tell me about the chemistry between you both; what makes your connection special?"_

 _At that, Kagami perked up like something hit him hard across the back of his head. "Kuroko and me, we used to be on our highschool basketball team. And he was labeled the 'Phantom Sixth Man', right? He said he'd be my shadow while I would be his light," he rambled on, "Nowadays, his calmness would still keep me level-headed, and my passion would get him fired up. Just like a yinyang balance kinda thing – light and shadow, white and black…" He suddenly stared blankly at the manager who stared back awkwardly._

" _Um…dear customer, sir?" She beckoned him to continue talking._

" _I know exactly what I want in the design."_

" _Oh! Fantastic!" She proceeded to draw rough sketches of two blank rings on her notepad. "So you said silver…"_

* * *

 _One week after that, Kagami was fiddling with a velvet ring box in his pocket. It was another one of his days off work, and he suddenly felt the urge to get on with the proposal. After Kuroko left the apartment for work, Kagami started to put his plans in motion._

 _He cleaned the apartment, arranging all the furniture, washing all the laundry and linens, setting clean bed sheets (regardless of them surely being ruffled later that night); Kagami turned red at the thought, so he shook his head back to focus. Nigou barked excitedly, following the redhead as he marched all over the apartment. When he took a break, he paused before the dog who was making bee-lines in front of him._

" _Nigou, sit!" Kagami ordered firmly, to which the husky obeyed with his tongue hanging out. He bent down to pet the canine a little. "I got butterflies all over my stomach. What do you think? Will Kuroko say 'yes'?"_

 _Nigou panted excitedly before pouncing onto Kagami's shoulders, licking his face to give him cheering reassurance. The former Seirin ace nearly lost his balance – Nigou certainly gained a lot of muscle and size through the years._

" _Bu-blah-plah! Okay, okay! I'm glad you think so! Pluh!" Kagami set the husky down while grimacing and spitting._

 _Even though Nigou had grown on him, it was still unpleasant to receive a face full of dog drool. He proceeded to wash his face before going back to his preparations._

 _The evening hours fell faster than Kagami thought. He eyed the clock and realized that Kuroko was about to come home. With anxious, jittery movements, he put the final touches on his preparations. Nigou's ears perked up and he ran to the door as the sound of jingling keys and the opening apartment door resounded._

" _Nigou," Kuroko greeted the barking and hopping husky, making his way into the dark kitchen. "Kagami-kun?" He called out. "Why aren't the lights on?" He turned the corner to place his hands on the light switch, but stopped midway when his eyes darted all over the kitchen._

 _There were almost twenty glass lanterns spaced across the kitchen counter, kitchen island, and other flat surfaces; each lantern had a tealight candle burning serenely inside. One lantern was placed on the wooden dining table's center where two plates of food sat across one another. There were homemade beef burgers on each plate with homemade sweet potato fries on the side; the accompanying cocktail glasses were filled with vanilla milkshake. Overall, the meals resembled a much fancier version of what Kuroko and Kagami had when they went to Maji Burger during their younger days._

" _Welcome home, Kuroko," Kagami greeted with a nervous voice as he fiddled with the hem of his sweater._

 _Kuroko eyed him suspiciously. "Kagami-kun…" he walked over to the taller man and stared him down. "…Imposter."_

"… _Huh?!"_

" _Who are you and what did you do to my partner?" Kuroko pulled Kagami by the shirt collar in an attempt to question him threateningly._

 _The redhead wore a smug grin– two could play at this game. He leaned towards the bluenet's face. "I'm the tiger that ate him, and I think I'll do something similar to you."_

" _I'm just kidding," Kuroko uttered monotonously as he released Kagami's shirt, much to the taller man's triumphant amusement. "Are you feeling alright? Are you sick?" He placed the palm of his hand on Kagami's forehead, to which the redhead stuttered confusedly._

" _I'm fine!" He swatted Kuroko's hand away._

" _Then why are you doing something so…" The bluenet looked behind him at the romantic atmosphere "…out of character?"_

 _Kagami rolled his eyes, poking his partner on the forehead with his forefinger. "Can't I spoil you from time to time?"_

 _Kuroko gazed at the particularly sincere eyes his partner had that day, a pinch of red forming at the tips of his ears. He smiled._

" _I suppose you can."_

 _Kagami grinned. "Come on, sit over here." He tilted his head to the side briefly to beckon his partner. He pulled out the chair at the dining table for Kuroko, waiting for him to sit down, then went to sit across._

 _The sixth prodigy carefully took the cocktail glass, eyeing the contents in wonder. "Did you make this vanilla milkshake yourself too?"_

 _Kagami grinned proudly, taking the glass and pointing it out to the bluenet for a toast. "I used top grade vanilla ice cream!"_

 _Kuroko's face brightened. He clinked his glass with Kagami's, uttering a calm "kanpai" before sipping the vanilla shake through the straw. The drink exceeded his expectations; he licked his lips and squished his eyes shut in pure pleasure._

" _It's the most delicious vanilla milkshake I've ever had!" He exclaimed in an airy, yet excited voice._

 _Kagami could not even dig into his meal. His heart dribbled like a basketball as he was left in a daze at yet another one of Kuroko's expressive faces. Almost instinctively, his body moved on its own as he got up from his seat and walked up next to the seated bluenet. Nigou sat next to the couple, tail wagging fervently and his mouth hung open in a large smile._

 _Kuroko set the drink down, turning in his seat to face the taller man. "…Kagami-kun?"_

" _Kuroko," the redhead looked him straight in the eye, full of sincerity. "We've been together since highschool, and we grounded each other into somewhat of a routine." He eyed the Maji Burger imitation meal on the table. "Heck, you're the one who grounded me whenever I blew a fuse. You're a really expressionless guy, so whenever I make you show some sorta emotion, I feel like I won the Winter Cup again. You're…" He sighed as he realized he was rambling. "Uh, r-remember you asked 'what is victory?' T-To me…" he struggled to remember the words that he rehearsed, getting down on one knee and taking hold of both of Kuroko's hands. "…victory is having you as my partner in life."_

" _Kagami-kun…?" Kuroko held his breath as he anticipated what came next._

" _It's not officially recognized in Japan, but I want to do this at least symbolically." The redhead fished the ringbox out of his pocket. "Kuroko Tetsuya," He opened the box to reveal the two silver bands, "Will you marry me unofficially for now?...Please?"_

 _Kuroko stared at him blankly, trying to compose himself, but to no avail. Not before long, his voice was shaken as tears of happiness escaped him. His eyebrows furrowed and he sniffled, rubbing the tears away with the back of his hand. "That was really embarrassing, what you said." He chuckled airily._

 _Kagami felt dizzy and extremely head-over-heels in love. Even he struggled to keep from crying. The moment was just so special and he felt like every ounce of his strength was used for that proposal. When Nigou whimpered, the redhead blinked back into focus. He put his free hand on Kuroko's thigh and gave it a nudge._

" _Hey," he chuckled, voice somewhat wavering. "Say 'yes' or 'no', dummy."_

 _Kuroko continuously sniffled, covering his flushed face with the back of his hand. "Are you an idiot? The answer is 'yes', obviously."_

 _Kagami's face brightened; he burst in excited laughter as he lifted Kuroko into the air with a strong embrace. "Nigou, Kuroko said 'yes'!" He looked down at the husky who was hopping side-to-side cheerily. "Kuroko said 'yes'!" Nigou barked several times, ending with an excited howl._

" _Kagami-kun, let me go and put the ring on me already." The bluenet smiled, ruffling the redhead's hair with his hand._

" _Ah, right!" Kagami set him down in front of him then pulled the rings from their perch in the box. He gave his ring to Kuroko and held the bluenet's ring readily. When Kuroko held out his left hand, he slipped the ring onto his ring finger._

 _Kuroko read the engraving on the silver band, slowly enunciating each English syllable. "…E-E-bo-ny and I-vo-ry." He stared blankly at the words, not quite understanding the meaning._

" _Yeah," Kagami pointed to the engravings on both rings. "'Ebony and ivory, together in perfect harmony' – they're lyrics to a really popular song in the U.S. back in the 80's. 'Ebony and ivory', like the black and white keys on a piano – like light and shadow."_

 _Kuroko's eyes widened in understanding; he blushed a little. "Kagami-kun," he smiled, "when did you become such a sap?"_

" _Shut up and put the ring on me, already." Kagami pouted playfully, putting out his left hand._

 _Kuroko let out an airy snort, doing just as Kagami demanded; both men took a moment to marvel at their rings then they pulled each other into a tight embrace._

" _I really, really love you, Kagami-kun," The sixth prodigy whispered, fluttering his eyes closed to enjoy the warmth of his husband._

 _The taller man felt dozens of butterflies tickle his chest – the romantic spark like this rekindled every now and then even after years of being together. He had no regrets for his choice._

" _Yeah? Well, I really, really, really, really, really love you too," He paused before adding endearingly in a whisper to Kuroko's ear, "Tetsuya."_

 _Kuroko visibly shivered in Kagami's arms. As he felt the trembles stop on the bluenet's back, Kagami's smile turned mischievous._

" _Tetsuya," he whispered again, followed by a wet kiss on his husband's cheek, "Tetsu…ya."_

" _Please stop that, Kagami-kun," Kuroko tried to sound as monotone as possible while attempting to escape from the taller man's clutches._

" _Taiga," Kagami demanded, retaining his firm grip on him. "You have to call me 'Taiga' now, Kuroko. Oh! I mean," He glued his face next to Kuroko's flushed cheek and whispered huskily, "Tetsuya."_

" _Kagami-kun!" Kuroko whined as he struggled even more._

 _The couple argued lovingly back and forth while Kagami carried his bride to their bedroom, closing the door with his foot._

"And well…" Kagami scratched his temple shyly as he finished recounting the proposal, "…the rest is personal, so yeah."

"Aww…" Makoto had an arm on the table, propping up his head with the palm of his hand. A bubbly smile ran across his lips. "That was very well-thought-out."

"Your version omitted a bunch of things," Kuroko shook his head in disapproval at the redhead. "I am certain that Kagami-kun bawled when I said 'yes'."

"I did not!" Kagami bellowed.

"Did too." Kuroko deadpanned.

The relay went on for a short while, Makoto's eyes darting back and forth between the two.

"Heheh! The married life must be nice." The brunet chuckled in envy. "I can't wait to get to that step with Haru, which will be soon."

The couple stopped their bickering to stare at Makoto who only nodded in affirmation.

"Mmhmm. I'm going to need some help from you two – a return favour for my help in your ring shopping?"

Kuroko and Kagami's faces lit up; the redhead uttered an emboldening "senpai!" before grinning and reaching across the table to give a brotherly punch to Makoto in the arm.

"Un! Do your best, senpai!"

"Yes, we'll help as much as we can." Kuroko reassured.

Makoto chuckled, reaching across the table to lightly ruffle the bluenet's and redhead's hair. "Thank you in advance."

* * *

 **Notes** : Please do leave a review! Thank you!

(1) Endearing names: Rather than 'sweetheart' or 'honey', Japanese couples call each other by first name without honorifics. In that way, it's more endearing. Although close friends do call each other by first name too, as seen with the characters in 'Free!'. However, the significance is in KnB, where it's super rare for the characters to call each other by first name. So when Kagami called Kuroko by his first name, 'Tetsuya', it makes it super duper endearing.

(2) _Genkan_ : A traditional Japanese entryway that is recessed to the floor. The place where people take off their shoes before going into the house/apartment.

(3) _Nana-chin_ : Murasakibara adds '-chin' to last names. It's a super cute way of addressing people casually. Hence, Nanase Haruka – 'Nana-chin'; voila.

(4) _Kami-chin_ : I haven't heard Murasakibara call Kagami's name, or I might've missed it. I'm only catching up in the anime right now. LOL But I figured after Vorpal Swords, he must have given him a super cute nickname too. "Gami-chin" sounded odd…so I opted for "Kami-chin" since we can read the last character in Kagami's last name as "Kami (神)" – it has a better ring in my opinion. Correct me if Murasakibara gave him an official nickname, though.

(5) _Senpai and kouhai_ : Just in case, for people not so familiar with Japanese honorifics; 'senpai' means 'senior', and 'kouhai' means 'junior'.

(6) _Kanpai_ : Japanese equivalent to "cheers!" when making a toast.


	2. Ch 2: Embarrassing Lines are Forbidden

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : Just a heads up to avoid confusion: this is written like it's a translation of Japanese, so you'll see some grammar and terms accordingly.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 2** : **Embarrassing Lines are Forbidden**

In the afternoon of a clear day, Kagami and Makoto started their shift at the fire station. They did not even get a chance to settle down when they were paged for a distress call. Kagami mentally prepared himself for the mission, but somewhat deflated when he arrived on site. He and Makoto traced their gaze all the way up a tree where a chubby white cat was perched. It let out a long, high-pitched 'meow…' before digging its claws deeper into the tree branch that it sat on.

"Yeah, senpai, this one's yours," Kagami deadpanned.

Makoto chuckled quietly. "How nostalgic." he set a ladder against the tree trunk. "This was just like our first distress call when you joined my team."

Kagami grunted irritably, holding the base of the ladder in place while Makoto climbed. "Don't remind me."

The brunet stopped near the top of the ladder, peeking out from the edge with a calm smile. He slowly held out an arm, letting the cat smell the scent of his hand. The white, short-haired animal then looked cautiously up at Makoto who wore the most charming smile on his face.

"Here," He chirped in an airy voice, beckoning the cat. "Come to me."

Immediately, the cat tiptoed across the branch, purring and rubbing its head affectionately on Makoto's cheek.

"There, there, you're safe now," he cooed, lifting the cat onto his shoulder. He carefully descended the ladder.

When the former Iwatobi swimmer reached the ground, he shifted the cat, cradling it in his arms while it meowed happily. Kagami stared at him with a flat look.

"Mission complete!" He chirped.

Kagami watched him pass the cat to the relieved owners, sighing. He imagined his senpai to be some kind of animal whisperer; even being able to call woodland birds to him with a charming, vocalized tune if he wanted to - much like those fairytale princesses. " _Ugh_." He grimaced at the thought.

"And that's how you do it, Taiga-kun."

Kagami snapped out of his thoughts, wrinkling the tips of his brows. "Yeah, the difference is, I'd get a face full of scratches and a raging cat from hell, flipping its crap in my clutches."

"Nonsense," Makoto dismissed his comment with a laugh. "With a lot of love, I'm sure you can call songbirds to you, even."

"Ugh!" The redhead scrunched his shoulders up as his skin erupted with goosebumps. "Stop the embarrassing lines, senpai!"

Makoto chuckled. It certainly was similar to their first distress call a little over a year ago; the first piece of the dominoes that blossomed their friendship into an intricate design. As they packed away the gear, the brunet reminisced the events.

 _He was informed of a new recruitment who would be assigned to his team, so he waited patiently at his truck where he was to meet his new kouhai. As if on cue, he heard firm footsteps approaching him._

" _Kagami Taiga reporting for duty, sir!" The redhead saluted, donned in a dark-blue, short-sleeved shirt, matching pants and thick, black boots – their uniform._

" _Nice to meet you, Kagami-kun." Makoto smiled. "I'm Tachibana Makoto; I'll be training you on all the procedures."_

" _Yes! I look forward to working with you!...Senpai!" Kagami mentally reminded himself to remember Japanese speech etiquette._

" _Un!" Makoto nodded cheerfully. "You're just in time! We have our first distress call to go to!"_

 _Kagami tensed. "Really? W-We go now?"_

" _Yup! I'll show you where to suit up, and then we'll get going!" The brunet waved his hand, beckoning his kouhai to follow._

 _Kagami grew anxious by the minute. A distress call on the first day! He imagined smoke and debris toppling from a building ceiling, the fires storming through every wall and crevice; him wearing a safety mask and rushing into the building to rescue any victims. As they reached the site, he developed butterflies in his stomach. Then…_

" _Maaaooo!"_

 _Kagami's eye twitched as he locked gazes with a fuzzy Himalayan cat up a tall tree. Well that was anticlimactic in several ways._

" _THIS is the distress call?" He asked in disappointment._

" _Yeah…" Makoto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Low-ranking firefighters mostly take care of minor distress calls like these. It's still good starter experience, right?"_

" _I guess so…" Kagami agreed albeit with some uncertainty._

 _Makoto placed a ladder against the tree trunk, holding it in place with one hand and waving at Kagami with the other. "Want to try to go get the kitty cat?"_

 _Kagami hesitated, but seeing as how it was his first day, it would have been disrespectful to refuse his senpai. He grunted in response, climbing up the ladder. When he reached the top, he stared at the cat nervously while the feline returned a blank stare._

" _Come on, kitty kitty," He reached out his hand, cautiously jerking it back a few times – God, he did not get along with animals. When he almost touched the cat, it crawled further backwards with its ears flapped down. Kagami began clawing forward. "Come on you little pipsqueak! Come here!" The cat hissed violently at him, and that was the moment he surrendered. He scowled, looking down below at his senpai. "I can't do it…sir."_

 _Makoto gave him a supportive smile. "It's okay! Come on down, I'll take care of it!"_

 _Kagami did as he was told,_ _switching places with his senpai. Makoto made his way steadily up the ladder, stopping at the top where he met his gaze with the agitated Himalayan._

" _Hello there, little one," He called out in a sing-song voice_ , _"It's very dangerous here, you know? Why don't you let Makoto nii-chan rescue you?" He gently reached his hand out. "Come on, nii-chan will take good care of you." The cat's ears perked up; it advanced cautiously before sniffing Makoto's hand and proceeding to rub its head under his fingers. "Oh my, you're a sweet little cat, aren't you?" He cooed as he gently scooped the cat onto his shoulder._

 _Kagami stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, watching him descend the ladder with a purring cat on his shoulder._

 _Makoto walked over to hand the feline to a young man. "Here you go. He's still a little stressed, but he's much calmer now."_

 _The young man pulled the visor of his white cap down in a gesture of gratitude. "Thank you." He muttered, and gave a small smile before leaving with the Himalayan in his arms. Kagami gave him a double-take, then shook it off. Nah, it must have been his imagination, he thought._

 _Kagami turned his attention back to Makoto. "Tachibana-senpai, you're so calm and fluid – just like water." He complimented, impressed with his senpai's work._

" _Funny you should say that," Makoto beamed. "I used to be on the swim team back in Iwatobi High School."_

" _Ah! You were into sports too? I was on my highschool basketball team. Then uhhh…the Vorpal Swords team if you heard about the event." Kagami explained in excitement._

 _Makoto blinked, reflecting for a moment, then it dawned on him. "Vorpal Swords! I read about it in the 'Sports Free!' magazine back in the day! No wonder you seemed familiar, Kagami-kun. I must have come across your name in that article." He pumped his fists excitedly. "You sure showed Team Jabberwocky, huh?"_

 _Kagami's face tinted with a shy red. He stuttered, looking away. "Nah, it was…it was a collective effort."_

" _Don't be so humble," Makoto laughed, "I'm really glad to have a famous and, no doubt, hardworking kouhai."_

 _Kagami felt relieved. Tachibana-senpai was so nice; he was sure to gain a brotherly figure in him…or perhaps, more of a motherly figure. He grimaced at the thought. No, definitely brotherly._

* * *

 _A few months after, Kagami improved drastically in his work under Makoto's coaching. On some days, they would go out for multiple distress calls; on other days when it was more peaceful, the station would be on standby. Makoto and Kagami would have time to enjoy their lunches, but were still on-guard for the distress siren to go off._

 _After finishing two lunch boxes, Kagami opened the lid to a small, flat, powder-blue lunch container. Inside were slices of hardboiled eggs, placed in two cascading lines._

 _Makoto sat across from him, suppressing a chortle. "Hardboiled eggs again?"_

" _Yeah," He dug into the slices nonchalantly._

" _You have them every day. You really like eating them, huh, Kagami-kun?"_

" _They're okay. But my uhh…" The redhead mentally searched for an ambiguous word for 'boyfriend'. He still felt a bit awkward revealing more of his personal life to his senpai, even though they were quite close already. "…my significant other prepared them for me. It's the only dish that that person knows how to make." He grinned. "So I gotta eat them. Besides, more protein is good."_

 _Makoto smiled. "Heh? That's very sweet." He proceeded to open his own lunch container which had its compartments filled to the brim with seafood. The smell made his kouhai salivate hungrily._

" _Senpai, do you make your lunches yourself too?" The redhead asked, eyes not leaving Makoto's meal. "They always look so good."_

 _The brunet blinked a couple of times before smiling sheepishly. "Why thank you. But uh…I can't cook at all." He blushed with an appreciative smile. "My um…" He also paused to look for a good substitute for 'boyfriend', opting for the same term that Kagami used. "…my significant other prepares these for me. That person just finished culinary school, so I'm kind of a daily food tester." He sweated a little as he carefully chose his words._

" _Lucky you," Kagami sighed wistfully._

" _Let's just say that we're both lucky." The brunet waved his hand consolingly at him, then jolted suddenly. "Ah! If you don't mind, what's the name of your significant other? I would like to address that person by name for polite reference, rather than calling them 'your significant other' or something like that."_

 _Kagami stared blankly. Like force of habit, he only revealed his partner's last name. "Kuroko." And he was glad he did._

" _Ah, Kuroko-chan," Makoto smiled. "She must be a cute and quiet girl, huh?"_

 _Kagami snickered obscurely. "'-chan', he said," He snorted mentally. He apologized in his mind to his senpai for the lie. Someday, he would reveal the truth to him. "Yeah, Kuroko's like that," He replied. "How about senpai's partner? What's her name?"_

" _Oh uh…Nanase Haruka," Makoto replied nervously. He, on the other hand, had little intention of hiding his partner's gender. If Kagami somehow probed it out, he would reveal it truthfully. But the Japanese language sure was convenient._

" _Ah, Haruka-san sounds like a very elegant woman," Kagami complimented._

 _Makoto stared with his mouth agape. "Right…Haru has a completely girly name," he thought to himself. But 'elegant'…the brunet chuckled to himself. 'Elegant' was pushing it a little when describing Haruka; a flash of memories went through his mind of the times Haruka stripped down to his jammers when he saw a large body of water. "She's more…cute than elegant…in her own way," he replied sheepishly._

" _Huh. Very fitting with senpai's personality, either way, it seems." Kagami tried imagining what this 'Nanase Haruka' would look like._

" _I'll introduce you someday." Makoto suggested, then perked up in realization. "Right! We're doing an exhibition for our station near New Year's. I'll bring Haru-chan along that day. Will Kuroko-chan come too?"_

 _Kagami tensed. Ah yes, the exhibition. Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. And it was not like he would refuse Kuroko to come to his workplace. If his senpai somehow found his orientation to be awkward, then it would be his senpai's problem. He was proud of being with Kuroko; and with a determined grin, he replied, "Yeah. Kuroko will be coming to see me; to see us."_

 _Makoto beamed. "Un! I look forward to it."_

* * *

 _The day could not have come sooner. A few days after New Year's, the station held the exhibition. The more experienced firefighters demonstrated their prowess through a simulation fire and rescue; others were in charge of showing how all the equipment worked; and most of the entire team had an exhibition of their saluting etiquette – that was where Kagami and Makoto were._

 _It was nearing the end of the march and salute display. All the participating firefighters stood in a straight line, stomping their foot down and turning ninety degrees to the side in unison. The crowds stood a little farther away, watching the display. Like the rest of the line, Kagami and Makoto wore dark indigo blazers with a matching beret and dress pants. Under the blazer was a white dress shirt with a red tie; the blazer lapel had a pin with the station's symbol fastened to it. Each beret had two gold studs spaced inches from each other near the rim. Covering the firefighters' hands were pairs of white satin gloves. Everyone on the team looked dashing._

" _Salute!"_

 _At the demand of the Fire Captain, the entire row raised their right hands to the rims of their berets in synchronization. They gave a moment for the audience to applaud. When the applause dissipated, the Fire Captain dismissed the team, marching them back to the station. When they were nowhere to be seen by the outside, Kagami and Makoto sighed, slumping their postures at ease._

" _Man, that was stressful." Kagami loosened his tie. "I somehow saw Kuroko in the audience and got kinda embarrassed."_

" _Huh? Kuroko-chan is here?" Makoto suddenly straightened himself up excitedly. "Bring her over! Haru is here too, somewhere." He looked over to one of the station entrances, catching sight of Haruka. "Oh! Haru! Over here!" He began walking to him. "I'll wait for you back here with Haru. Let's introduce!" He chirped excitedly to Kagami._

 _Kagami started to get anxious. The moment of truth was about to come. With a nervous grunt, he turned around and made his way through the crowds of people outside. He looked around where the audience stood moments ago, but Kuroko was nowhere to be found. He pulled out his cellphone and began dialing, but he felt someone tugging at his blazer sleeve._

" _Kagami-kun."_

" _AH!" The redhead whirled around to face his phantom-like partner. "Geez! I can't believe you still catch me off-guard like this!"_

" _I can't help it," Kuroko deadpanned, although the corners of his lips were ever so tilted upwards._

 _Kagami sighed with a playful scowl. "Anyway," He gently pulled at his beret. "Did you like the show?" He winked charmingly at the bluenet._

 _Kuroko blushed a little with smiling eyes. "Yes. Kagami-kun looked very handsome and professional."_

 _A dash of red ran across Kagami's face, but he smiled proudly. "Un! You betcha!" He suddenly remembered why he came looking for Kuroko. "Ah, right! Tachibana-senpai wants to meet you! He'll be introducing his girlfriend too."_

 _Kuroko somewhat tensed. He hesitated a little, but his polite etiquette betrayed him._

" _Understood."_

" _Great! Let's go!" Kagami scooped an arm behind his back and pushed him forward._

 _Meanwhile, Makoto interchanged between all sorts of puppy-dog looks and pouts to convince Haruka to meet his kouhai (and his kouhai's supposed 'girl' friend)._

" _Come on, Haru! You'll love them! My kouhai is famous too!"_

" _Not interested." Haruka turned to leave, but Makoto gently and insistently took hold of his arm._

" _Haruuu…" The brunet whined, then an idea popped into his head. "Apparently Kagami-kun's girlfriend has eyes as blue as the waters around Panari Island in Okinawa!"_

 _Haruka stopped struggling, mentally cursing as his interest was visibly piqued._

" _Senpai!"_

 _Makoto heard Kagami's rough voice behind him in the distance. It was the moment of truth. Kagami also held a firm grip on Kuroko's shoulders so that he would not lose him amongst the crowds._

" _Senpai!"_

" _Kagami-kun!"_

" _I'd like to introduce you to…"_

 _Makoto twirled Haruka around and scooped an arm around his shoulders. "Nanase Haruka, my partner."_

 _Kagami brought Kuroko forward, lending the shorter man as much presence as possible. "Kuroko Tetsuya, my partner."_

"…"

"…"

 _There was silence and blank staring. Makoto looked at Kuroko who watched him with a stoic expression; Kagami could not believe his eyes when he fixed his gaze on Haruka._

" _Uh…Nanase…Ha-Ha-ruka-san." The redhead blinked a couple of times. That was the girliest girl name he had ever heard, he thought to himself. Yet a man with short, jet-black locks and a thin build stood before him._

" _Ah…" Makoto realized as he understood the misunderstanding. "Kuroko, as in last name 'Kuroko', Tetsuya." He tilted his head to the side questioningly. "Why don't you call Kuroko-cha- I mean, Kuroko-kun by his first name?"_

 _Kagami shrugged. "We always called each other by last name since highschool."_

" _Oh…is that so?" Makoto marveled._

 _The firemen looked at each other with relief before the corners of their lips twitched upwards into goofy smiles. What were the odds that each of their significant others were male AND such a misunderstanding happened?_

" _Pfft!" Kagami started laughing out loud with Makoto following along._

 _Haruka raised a brow at the two, then faced the younger couple. "Nice to finally meet you, Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun."_

" _Hahaha I'm…pfft! I'm pleased to meet…hahaha! I'm very sorry!" Kagami roared with laughter, tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he held his stomach in mirth._

" _Yes," Kuroko decided to cut in as he gave the redhead a brief look before continuing the introduction. "On behalf of Kagami-kun, we are pleased to meet you, Nanase-san. And I am very honoured to meet you, Tachibana-san." He bowed a little._

" _Ah, please, haha," Makoto wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling, "no need to be so formal, Kuroko-kun. You can call us 'Makoto' and 'Haruka', or "Haru-chan'."_

" _Not the '-chan'," Haruka demanded somewhat irritably, to which Makoto chuckled amusedly and Kagami further understood the misunderstanding._

 _Kuroko blinked twice then smiled. "Then, Makoto-san and Haruka-san."_

 _The brunet nodded approvingly at that. Haruka, however, fixated his gaze on the bluenet. When Kuroko noticed this, he stared back blankly. It became a brief staring contest between the two most stoic people until Haruka walked forward, looking down at Kuroko with seriousness in his eyes._

"… _Is there something wrong, Haruka-sa-?"_

 _Haruka cupped Kuroko's face in the palms of his hands, tilting the bluenet's head upward so that their eyes met._

" _Ah." Kagami stuttered and watched them intently, confused and not sure what to do._

" _Ha-Haru?" Makoto cautiously reached his hand out, ready to grab his partner. "W-What are you doing?" He let out a nervous laugh._

" _His eyes," Haruka marveled monotonously, "His eyes really are as blue and clear as the waters around Panari Island." He bent down to look closer, to which Kuroko bent backwards uncomfortably. He tightened his grip and sighed in admiration. "It's one of the most perfect swimming destinations…"_

" _Haruka-san, please let go." Kuroko sounded just as monotonous as he gently tried to pry his head out of Haruka's grip. "You're somewhat hurting me."_

" _Uwah! Haru! Stop that! It's rude!" Makoto exclaimed, jumping behind his partner and grabbing a hold of his wrists to try to pry them away. When he successfully removed Haruka's hands, he saw Kuroko jerk away and walk behind Kagami to hide._

 _The redhead snickered, watching Kuroko massage his own cheeks. "You alright?"_

" _More-or-less." The sixth prodigy peeked out from Kagami's side._

 _Haruka titled his head to the side to meet Kuroko's gaze. "Panari Island waters."_

 _Kuroko timidly grasped onto the fabric of Kagami's blazer._

" _Haru, stop that! You're scaring him!" Makoto pleaded while holding back his partner by the shoulders. "I'm really sorry about that, Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun. Haru gets very excited when he sees large bodies of water or anything similar to large bodies of water."_

 _Kagami stuttered in surprise at Haruka's interesting quirk. But he sighed with a polite grin, reaching a hand behind himself to ruffle the bluenet's hair. "Nah, it's all good. I'm sure Kuroko will become best buddies with Haruka-san." He actually guessed with uncertainty._

" _I'm pretty sure too." Haruka stated confidently, to which Kuroko tightened his grip on the sleeve of Kagami's blazer._

 _Makoto chuckled sheepishly. He was convinced that it was the last time Kuroko would show up anywhere where Haruka was present. But most importantly, he and his kouhai became even greater friends outside of work after that day of revelations._

"Say, Makoto-senpai," Kagami began to ask, hosing the soap off the fire truck with one of the free water hoses.

"Hm?" Makoto replied, getting out of his daze.

Before he realized it, it was already late afternoon and they were back at the station, washing their truck. He even had a sponge push broom in his hands. His mind must have been functioning on autopilot through muscle memory of daily duties.

"Did you start thinking about your proposal to Haruka-san?" The redhead decided to make conversation.

"Hm…I did." Makoto absentmindedly dragged the sponge on his broom all over the side of the truck. "I want to do something that's meaningful between Haru and I."

"Ah, yeah. That's usually where people start. How about something with water or swimming?" Kagami suggested.

"Yeah, I thought of that," he rolled his eyes to the ceiling in thought. "But then I saw these really cool videos online of people skywriting their proposals, or dominoes toppling over to write the message…"

"Senpai," Kagami smiled compassionately at him, "how about we start with the rings first? I can try to ask Akashi for a second favour…"

"Oh no, I can't." Makoto shyly waved his hands in front of him. "Akashi-san is your old team mate; I don't know him personally. So it would be rude to ask for benefits. In fact," he paused, remembering the set of rings that caught his eye in one of the display cases of Akashi's store, "The day we were shopping for you and Tetsuya-kun's rings, I already saw an interesting set; I intend to pay the full price for them."

Kagami eyed him curiously. "It wouldn't hurt to try to ask Akashi, though."

"I guess so…thanks in advance, Taiga-kun," Makoto chuckled sheepishly, to which his kouhai only grunted. "Sheesh…I know the answer is most likely 'yes', but I still get very anxious thinking about the proposal."

"Oh yeah. I know _exactly_ how you feel, senpai." Kagami nodded in agreement as he coiled the hose.

"What feel?"

"UwaaaaaaAAHH!" Kagami spun around and stumbled, dropping the coiled water hose. A chill ran up and down his spine from the sudden monotonous voice that was behind him. But it was not Kuroko's.

Haruka stood before him with wide and innocent eyes. "Hello Taiga-kun. Did I scare you?"

"Haruka-san?! I mean, you surprised me! I mean," He pointed rudely at him, "Did Tetsuya teach you that?!"

A small, gratified smile plastered across Haruka's face. "Tetsuya-kun taught me a few tricks about presence and eye contact. Thought I'd try it out."

Kagami's jaw dropped with his voice caught in his throat. What hell hath he unleashed.

"Haru!" Makoto chirped, walking over to his partner's side.

"Makoto," Haruka greeted, looking lovingly into his eyes.

"It's past 3:00pm already, huh?" The brunet raised his wrist watch to confirm the time. "Good work today. Was it busy at the restaurant?"

"Thank you. Yes, it was busier today," Haruka replied with a smile, then raised a brow at his partner.

Makoto only blinked once at that before he caught sight of the box wrapped in a green cloth in Haruka's grip. That's right, he had forgotten his packed evening meal in the fridge that morning.

"Ah! Thank you, Haru! I completely forgot it when I rushed out." The brunet took the box into his hands.

"What are you going to do without me, clumsy Makoto?" Haruka tapped his index finger affectionately on Makoto's nose.

"My stomach would starve," Makoto replied with a playful whine, "And most likely my heart would too."

"Ulgh." Kagami shuddered uncomfortably at his senpai's embarrassing lines. "Alright kids, take this outside." He raised the nozzle of the water hose. "Or I'll spray you both," he jokingly threatened.

But then, Haruka stepped forward suddenly with his arms wide open. "Spray me," He demanded firmly to the redhead, "Spray me, Kagami-kun!"

The former Seirin ace gave him a flat look as he froze in place, trying to register what he had just heard. But somehow it was only passing through to the gutter of his mind, so he turned around in embarrassment, ears tinged in deep red. Well that joke certainly backfired.

"Haru! What are you saying?" Makoto whispered in a panicky voice. "H-He's just kidding, Taiga-kun! Haha!" He waved his hands in front of him defensively.

Kagami was left muttering something to himself about Makoto being unbelievable; his senpai was the only one who would have been able to handle that serious water obsession.

* * *

 **Notes:** Please do leave a review! Thank you!

(1) The cameo: Prince of Tennis fans, YES, the Himalayan cat and its owner are exactly who you think they are. I've been a fan of the series back in the day, so I wanted to make a small tribute.

(2) Aitsu [あいつ] = 'that person': Like I said before, I'm writing this story like it's a translation from Japanese. In Asian languages, we usually address people as 'that person'. Especially when spoken, they sound genderless. So when Makoto and Kagami referred to their partners, it's completely ambiguous until they actually met Kuroko and Haruka in person. It didn't help that their names were feminine either (遙 = Haruka; 黒子 = Kuroko). The punchline is that Kagami calls Kuroko by his last name (instead of first name, Tetsuya) before they got married. "Kuroko" can be a girl's first name, so it totally played into the misunderstanding. Pfft!

(3) The fire station exhibition: I based it off of Dezome-shiki, a parade/exhibition held by the Tokyo Fire Department around New Years. Find it on Wikipedia or Google it. There's too much to explain it all here. Haha.

(4) The Waters of Panari Island: Google Image it; you are welcome. Haha.


	3. Ch 3: In Our Own Little World

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : For this chapter, I'll focus a little more on the relationship between Makoto and Haruka.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: In Our Own Little World**

 _Haruka pulled at his blue tie, proceeding to fix his white dress shirt, gray blazer and pants. He looked up at a brunch restaurant sign and gulped nervously. The outside had beige-framed windows and doors covering the walls which had a brown base. It had a European kind of feel. He was there for an interview for the sous-chef position. Lucky, really; the restaurant was recently opened in the Ginza district and began hiring just a few weeks after Haruka graduated from culinary school. With a push of the door handle, he stepped inside, briefcase hanging loosely at his fingertips._

 _The restaurant still had that new smell – the renovators were busy painting the walls a light cream colour; the tables and other furniture hid under white cloths. Everything seemed to be in-progress except for the kitchen in the far back, which looked ready and pristine. On the left wall was a large chalkboard that spanned in width across._

 _A man in a chef's outfit (Haruka guessed he was the proprietor) was writing the names of some special dishes on the chalkboard. His medium-length, purple hair swayed as he wrote every katakana character with a chalk piece just as purple. Haruka was very surprised at how tall he was, because the chef only needed to extend his legs a little to reach the top of the board. The chef stopped writing at one point and began muttering to himself. Haruka took the opportunity to approach him._

" _Excuse me," he looked up at his profile, "I'm here for an interview with Chef Murasakibara Atsushi?" He put an inquiring tone to see if the other man was indeed his interviewer._

" _That's me~" He slurred his words in deep thought then turned his head to the side to meet Haruka's gaze. "Ah~right~~ I have an interviewee today. Nanase Haruka, was it?"_

" _Yes," Haruka answered with a nervous nod._

" _Ohhh…" Murasakibara whined lazily, somewhat irritated because his thoughts were interrupted by the interview._

 _Haruka raised a brow. To him, his interviewer sounded like a dying komodo dragon; he was not so sure if he wanted to work there anymore._

" _Have a seat~" The chef sighed as he pulled a clothed chair out._

" _Thank you," Haruka replied simply with a nod. He sat down and watched the giant sway side-to-side to the kitchen._

 _When Murasakibara returned, he sat across from him and placed a plate of petits fours on the table. They consisted of six, bite-sized dessert pieces; a mini cake with powder-blue icing and a black current on top; a yellow custard tartelet with almonds sprinkled on top; a puff pastry with a blueberry jam center; a mini green-tea macaron; a mini cupcake with light-purple icing; and a mini strawberry shortcake with a plump, red strawberry on top. Haruka eyed the desserts in wonder._

" _Cool huh? I call this set…" The chef waved his hands in a circular motion in the air. "…the Generation of Miracles~~" He snorted wistfully before pushing the plate closer to Haruka. "Try them."_

 _The other man looked at the petits fours. It was an interesting name, and they looked scrumptious. He took a bite out of the powder-blue mini cake._

" _This is…" His eyes glimmered as he was stumped on what to say._

" _Sea-salt vanilla icing," Murasakibara explained, "eat and try them all."_

 _Haruka did not even notice that the chef's tone was more sophisticated when talking about food. He tried and finished each one, all the while Murasakibara explained the flavours. Between bites, he would answer the chef's questions until he finished them all._

" _That reaction you had for each one…" Murasakibara pointed his index finger firmly at him. "I will hire you if you make me have the same reaction to something you bake."_

 _Haruka immediately tensed. "Now?"_

" _Uh huh~ A test~~ It's the last part of the interview, Candidate-san~" The restaurant proprietor guided him to the kitchen, his lazy tone returned. "I stocked up on a lot of ingredients, so use anything you want. If there isn't an ingredient here that you need, uhh…then bake something else. Use all the time you need." He threw an apron to Haruka then proceeded to cross his arms over his chest. "Show me yo' thang~"_

 _Haruka stared blankly at him before shaking his head back to focus. He tied the apron around his waist, musing at the odd chef. Regardless of the weird feeling he got from the proprietor, he still began to respect him after tasting his petits fours. Each of them were sweet – a nostalgic kind of sweet; based on that, Haruka decided to hit the chef hard with a dessert he had in mind._

 _After moving around the kitchen and rummaging through the ingredients, he found what he needed (luckily). He whisked some eggs and sugar, making custard and pouring it into some porcelain containers. After treating some other ingredients, he put the containers into the oven. While they were baking, he made small talk with the chef, breaking the ice. In half an hour, he carefully took the porcelain containers out, setting them on the counter to cool before putting them in the fridge. He waited another half-hour, making more small talk before taking them out. He proceeded to sprinkle sugar on top of the custard of one container. Then he took a torch and burned the sugar on top until it was caramelized. Lastly, he pushed it towards the chef, placing a mint leaf on top for garnishing._

" _Green tea crème brulée," Haruka muttered stoically._

" _Hoh~~?" Murasakibara was very interested, because he quickly grabbed a fork and dug into the crème brulée._

 _Once the fork cracked the surface, the caramelized sugar made a delightful crunchy noise. Murasakibara pressed the pieces into the custard, which had a natural green tea colour. The smell was fresh and calm – very soothing like a hot cup of green tea during a mild day. The chef scooped up pieces of the sugar and custard, eyeing them briefly; he bit down on the fork, pulling it out and savouring the custard in his mouth._

 _Murasakibara's eyes shimmered. The sugar pieces were crunchy and melted quickly into the custard, which bombarded him with a sweet egg and green tea flavour. It just tasted like…it tasted like…_

 _The chef could not describe the experience. He just felt bliss._

" _Mm. Mm mm~! Mmmm~~! MMMM~~~~!" Murasakibara swayed side-to-side with his eyes squished shut._

 _Haruka tilted his head to the side, eyeing him curiously with a growing confidence. That reaction was a hundred times greater than what he expected. Anxiously, he decided to break whatever trance the restaurant proprietor was in._

" _Chef?"_

 _Murasakibara held the porcelain container in one hand, scooping more bites with the fork in his other hand. "You're hired." He managed to mutter in between chewing._

 _Haruka's eyes widened; he bowed. "Thank you, chef! I will do my best!"_

" _Mmm." Murasakibara swallowed the last bite, putting the container down. "Welcome to the team, Nana-chin~~"_

" _Nana-chin?" Haruka raised a brow, but was ignored by Murasakibara._

" _I was stumped when filling the menu, see~~?" He guided his new kouhai to the large chalkboard outside. "'Cause I realized I had nothing else to add, so the menu was small…" He pointed to the vast empty space on the board. "But tomorrow, you're gonna show me more dishes and we're gonna fill it up."_

 _Haruka felt motivated. This was a great opportunity to showcase his skills, and he was sure to learn a lot from his new senpai. "Yes, chef," He answered diligently._

 _Murasakibara grunted in acknowledgement with a lazy smile. "I'm seriously adding this green tea crème brulée to the menu too." He held up his purple chalk piece, ready to write on the board. "You got a personal name for your crème brulée~? It'll add a unique touch."_

 _Haruka nodded. "I call it…"_

Beep beep beep!

Haruka jolted awake from his dream. He reached a hand over to the night stand to shut off the alarm clock. When there was silence, he let out a small groan, falling back onto the bed. He looked to his side – Makoto was sleeping soundly with one arm draped over Haruka's waist. He sighed lovingly, running his fingers down his partner's cheek. Then, a chill brought him to realize that he was nude…and so was Makoto.

Ah, it was Saturday morning – usually the previous night, Makoto would make a mess of him since they both had no work the day after. Haruka gazed at the brunet. It could not be helped – not with that kind of face. He bent down to give Makoto a gentle kiss on the lips before slowly getting out of bed, so as to not wake his partner.

When the bedroom door clicked close, Makoto chuckled, blushing profusely and gathering the bed sheets into a hug.

* * *

"Sorry for the intrusion."

Kuroko stood at the doorway of Makoto and Haruka's apartment. It was another one of those days when the bluenet came over for his private cooking lessons.

"Not at all, Tetsuya-kun," Makoto chirped, "No need to be so formal. Please come in."

"Thank you." Kuroko walked into the genkan.

"Please make yourself at home. I'll go get Haru." The brunet left to the bathroom where he slid open the doors. "I'm coming in."

Haruka jolted up from under the surface of the bath water with a gasp. He flipped the drops of water from his hair, opening his eyes to see Makoto's hand held out towards him.

"Tetsuya-kun is here," Makoto chirped.

"I told you to drop the 'cha-'" He paused as he was about to grab his partner's hand. That follow-up was always a force of habit; he heard Makoto snort. "Shut up." He took hold of his partner's hand.

"I can't help it – it's cute of you." Makoto chuckled, pulling him up from the tub. "Aaaand then you're wearing your jammers in the tub aga- UWUOH!" He covered his eyes with his hands and faced the opposite direction.

Haruka was completely nude. He stepped out of the tub and eyed the brunet with furrowed brows. "Why are you so shy? You're the one who pinned me down yesterday, you know?" He stated matter-of-factly.

"N-na-I'm not! I was just surprised because I keep expecting you to be in your swimming pants." Makoto fanned out his fingers to take a peek, face flushing. "Force of habit." He saw Haruka snicker. "You're so mean, Haru! You tricked me!"

Haruka stood inches away from his partner; he slid his arms around Makoto's neck. "I can't help it," he whispered, "you're also just too cute like this."

The brunet gazed at him lovingly before diving in for a gentle kiss. He wrapped his arms around Haruka's waist, giving the other man support. After a few more minutes, a loud splash came echoing from the bathroom.

"Hello, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko sat on the couch with his cellphone against his ear. "Can you entertain me for about thirty minutes or an hour?"

"Ah? Aren't you at Makoto-senpai's place?" The redhead replied confusedly on the other side.

"Yes. And it seems he and Haruka-san forgot about me temporarily."

"What? Your presence isn't that weak, is it? How could they forget about you _tempor_ -?" Kagami flustered in realization. "Oh."

* * *

Later on, the lovey-dovey couple emerged from the bathroom, fully-clothed, but loose droplets of water still trickled from their hair. Makoto had an arm around Haruka's waist, a long towel draped across their shoulders like a couple scarf. The brunet chuckled about something, to which the other man snorted and smacked him playfully on the stomach.

When they entered the living room, however, Makoto jumped a little and let out an elongated squeak. Kuroko was sitting at the couch; he lifted his head from the novella he was reading.

"Hello."

"Tetsuya-kun!" The brunet whacked his own forehead. "I'm so sorry! We completely forgot that you were here!"

"More like _you_ forgot," Haruka deadpanned.

"We _both_ did!" Makoto squeaked in a panicky voice.

"It's alright," Kuroko spoke stoically as he got up from his seat, "I'm used to it."

The bluenet was indifferent, really, since he had been invisible to most people for the longest time. As long as he had his novellas or Kagami-kun to entertain him in the meantime, he did not mind at all. But the couple took it in a way that Kuroko felt rejected; so Makoto cooed in a motherly way before he and Haruka each wrapped an arm around his shoulders. They guided him to the kitchen.

"I'm not a child. I really don't care that you forgot about me." Kuroko wore a flat expression, but still allowed the couple to guide him like that.

"It's okay. I'll teach you even more dishes today to make up for it," Haruka explained.

Kuroko was about to say that it was his fault for intruding on their Saturday. But Haruka's suggestion made him push that politeness away.

"Then I humbly accept," he simply uttered.

"Un! That's a good boy!" The brunet cooed, gently petting Kuroko's hair.

"Again, I'm not a child."

Makoto stood idly beside the two at the kitchen counter, watching Haruka teach simple dishes to the bluenet. Kuroko followed carefully, mimicking every knife movement that Haruka showed. He improved significantly since the first time he came over secretly to take lessons from the sous-chef. If it were not for these lessons, the two probably would not have built such a rapport.

* * *

 _Near the end of February that year at Kagami and Kuroko's apartment, the sixth prodigy was making lunch on a quiet Saturday. Following the omelet lessons from his partner, Kuroko carefully practiced frying basic cheese omelets. They were edible albeit somewhat dry. Although he was improving, he still hoped to someday surprise Kagami with a dish of his own._

" _I like them," The redhead mumbled at the kitchen island between bites._

 _Kuroko felt his heart lift – he was really glad to have such a gluttonous partner. Honestly, he had no idea what to do with all the omelets had Kagami not been there. Either Kagami really ate a lot or he was stuffing Kuroko's creations down to avoid hurting his feelings. The bluenet hoped it was the former._

" _I'm glad," he replied, turning around to lean on the kitchen island across him._

" _Oh yeah! Tachibana-senpai is inviting us over tonight for dinner to celebrate,' Kagami further explained, "Haruka-san landed a job at a new brunch restaurant."_

 _Kuroko tensed at the name; all he could think of every time he heard 'Haruka-san' was 'Panari Island Waters.' He internally warred with himself. If he did not go, it would not be polite (and against his values of etiquette); if he did go, he would most probably get ambushed by Haruka's water obsession again._

 _What to do?_

 _As if sensing Kuroko's nervousness, Kagami gave him a compassionate smile. "Uh…Kuroko," he tried to reassure the shorter man, "Tachibana-senpai said that he'll restrain Haruka-san as much as possible. And I'm sure Haruka-san will behave himself." He snickered, remembering the exhibition event at the fire station. "Worse case," he reached a hand over to gently tussle the bluenet's hair, "I'll be your human shield for the night. Okay?"_

 _Kuroko blushed; although the suggestion was somewhat cheesy, he felt relieved hearing it. He grasped Kagami's hand and brought it down to cup his cheek before muttering an airy reply._

" _Yes."_

 _So that evening at the Tachibana and Nanase residence, all four men sat at the dinner table. Haruka perpetually gaped at Kuroko who sat across from him; the sixth prodigy returned a stoic gaze, but his shoulders were slightly hunched from tension; Kagami sat next to his partner, twiddling his thumbs awkwardly; Makoto sat next to Haruka, wearing the most sheepish grin._

" _Kagami-kun, don't let go of him," Haruka uttered in a calm voice, eyes never leaving the bluenet's clear blue ones, "you're a very lucky man."_

" _Ah, no worries about that at all, heh!" Kagami replied awkwardly. He was not quite sure exactly what Haruka meant by the last part, though. "And uuuh…thank…you?"_

" _Ahaha! Why don't we bring the spotlight back to you, Haru?" Makoto followed up with a nervous laugh. "We're here to celebrate your new-found job!"_

" _Yeah! Congrats, Haruka-san!" The redhead pumped his fist down. "Did you also have to cook something during your interview?"_

" _I did. The chef told me that he'd hire me if I made him something that would blow him away," Haruka explained nonchalantly._

" _What did you make?" Kagami leaned forward curiously._

" _A green tea crème brulée," Haruka replied before adding, "It was inspired by Makoto when I saw him drinking a cup of green tea." He turned to the side to pet his partner's natural green-tea-coloured brown locks. "A sweet and soothing dessert…just like Makoto."_

" _Haruuu…"Makoto chuckled shyly._

 _The younger couple gaped with flat expressions on their face; sometimes Makoto and Haruka would be in their own world and forget about their surroundings. They would engage in their public displays of affection, much to the third wheel's awkwardness. And it was up to the outside world to bring them back._

 _Kagami cleared his throat._

" _Oh! Uh…now let's eat, shall we?" Makoto snapped out of his trance._

 _The brunet stood up to scoop rice into everyone's bowl; he lifted all the covers off the plates of food on the table. As the steam from each plate rose to the ceiling, the younger couple's faces lit up instantly. Haruka made his own pot of green curry with a plate of grilled mackerel on the side; a plate of baked salmon marinated in maple syrup lay in the center; and there was a large pot of baked vegetables, cut into slices and layered in tomato paste - ratatouille._

" _Thanks for the meal!" All four echoed from one to another before digging in._

 _Haruka got up from his seat to pour cups of tea for everyone. When he saw Kuroko had taken a helping of the ratatouille, he retrieved a container from the fridge. Haruka scooped a spoonful of a thick, creamy substance, dropping a dollop onto Kuroko's vegetables._

" _Mascarpone cheese," Haruka explained, "it goes very well with this."_

 _Kuroko blinked somewhat timidly before he tried it. Much to the sous-chef's delight, the bluenet's face brightened._

" _It's delicious," he complimented, shoulders finally relaxing. His eyes glimmered like clear waters reflecting sunlight._

 _Haruka leaned forward like a magnet being pulled; so Makoto wrapped a firm arm around his shoulder and jerked them both back into the backrests of their chairs._

" _Right?" The brunet began with a bubbly smile, masking a nervous one, "As expected of a sous-chef! Haru knows how to cook lots of things!"_

 _The sixth prodigy perked up at that. "Even more than Kagami-kun?"_

" _Most likely more than Kagami-kun," Haruka shot the redhead a fiery and challenging smile._

" _Hey! I can't compare to a professional chef!" Kagami scowled._

" _No, you can't," Haruka and Kuroko stated bluntly in perfect synchronization._

" _What's with the emotionless stereo?!" Kagami roared comically. "Geez, you two."_

 _The firemen watched as their partners each let out an airy chuckle; Makoto heaved a sigh of relief before snorting and joining in the laughter; Kagami just followed along._

 _After dinner, Makoto showed Kagami around the living room which had pictures of his days in the Iwatobi swim club. The conversation led to sports talk, which led to a chat about their school days._

" _Ah, I was asked by a friend to join my junior high basketball club one time," Makoto explained._

" _Oh yeah? Why didn't you join? I think you would have made a great center." Kagami eyed his senpai curiously._

" _Nah. Basketball is too rough for me. Even though I'm tall, I don't have the aggressive side to play. And besides," He took a peek at Haruka, "It's meaningless to me if Haru isn't there."_

 _Kagami grinned. "Yeah. Senpai seems more of a swimmer anyway."_

" _Right?" Makoto chuckled. "Oh, but that friend of mine did say one time that his team was utterly defeated during nationals by an amazing school." His eyes widened as he remembered. "They beat his team 117 to 6; I remember the score because it was just unbelievable. Teiko Middle School, was it?"_

 _Kagami rolled his eyes up and out toward his periphery, sighing with a wry smile. "Oh yeah. Sounds like Teiko's Generation of Miracles, alright. Kuroko was on that team."_

" _Heh? Was he?" The former Iwatobi swim team captain marveled._

" _Yeah, he was their rumoured 'Phantom Sixth Man' before he joined Seirin's team," Kagami explained; he gazed at Kuroko's back. "He and I made it to the regulars at the beginning of our first year."_

" _Uwah-ha, you guys are really an amazing combination." Makoto smiled in delight._

" _Ah, s-stop that, senpa!" Kagami stuttered embarrassedly._

 _At the kitchen counter, Kuroko helped Haruka wash and dry the dishes. The older man insisted that guests should not do that, but he surrendered when Kuroko gave him a blank stare with those pristine eyes._

" _I heard Makoto-san and Haruka-san were the captain and vice-captain of Iwatobi's swimming club?" Kuroko asked to make conversation._

" _Yeah," Haruka answered with a small smile, "the team was very small, though, because no one wanted to join."_

" _Why is that, may I ask?" The bluenet dried some dishes, placing them on a drying rack._

" _I guess we were just unappealing." The older man shrugged. "Our club was overshadowed by others, but it was still fun with the members we had."_

 _Kuroko perked up and smiled at that. "It reminds me a lot about myself. I'm just an invisible shadow even when playing basketball. But I had fun with everyone back in the day," he explained wistfully._

 _Haruka dropped his dishwashing gloves and turned to grasp Kuroko's shoulders. "You're definitely not invisible in my opinion." He peered blankly into the shorter man's clear-blue eyes._

" _It was a good thing, though. I used that trait to ambush and steal balls." Kuroko held a stoic gaze. "…Haruka-san, please let go."_

" _Right. Sorry." Haruka mentally disciplined himself; he released his shoulders and returned to rinse the dishes._

 _For a moment, the two were quiet, in their own worlds, until Kuroko brought up a request._

" _Haruka-san," the sixth prodigy lowered his voice to a whisper, "can you teach me how to cook?"_

 _Haruka turned to watch him with a raised brow._

" _I want to learn some dishes to blow Kagami-kun away. I want to ambush him the underdog way," Kuroko pumped his fist down calmly, yet with determination._

 _The other man's eyes widened, then his lips quirked into a smirk. "Alright, come over any time. I'll show you some simple recipes that will topple him to his knees."_

 _Kuroko smiled at the sous-chef's remark. He was about to thank him when Haruka suddenly spoke._

" _In return, I get to see the Panari Island Waters more."_

" _Tch. There was a catch." Kuroko muttered to himself and turned his head to the side irritably. "I knew there was a catch."_

"What's the catch?"

Haruka's question brought Makoto back to the present. The two stoic men took a small break from cooking while their dishes broiled in the oven. Kuroko was giving more tips to Haruka about misdirection.

"The catch is that you have to be completely in your own world," the sixth prodigy explained, "so when you move, you're quiet and 'not of this world'. But you have to be focused enough to know where you're going – that's one way of hiding your presence."

"I see. That's very interesting; might be useful if it was applied to swimming somehow." Haruka folded his arms across his chest pensively. "Ah, the food should be done." He turned off the oven and opened the door to take out both dishes – ratatouille. He carefully lifted the parchment paper off of both, forking a sample of Kuroko's to taste.

"How is it?" Kuroko and Makoto both asked in anticipation.

Haruka swallowed the bit. "Very good on your first attempt." He lightly ruffled Kuroko's hair as a rewarding gesture. "Taiga-kun won't even know what hit him."

Kuroko smiled with determination. "I'll soon cook even better than Kagami-kun."

The sous-chef only snorted, proud of his student. "It sounds competitive, but you're doing this to spice up the romance, huh?"

Kuroko stared blankly at him, a thought coming across his mind. "Haruka-san, what's your idea of something romantic?" He suddenly asked, turning his head to wink one eye at Makoto – a signal for the brunet to listen up.

Makoto blinked in surprise before subtly nodding. This was the opportunity to gather information for proposal ideas.

"Romantic?" Haruka tilted his head to the side pensively.

The two eagerly awaited his response. Makoto opened a mental notepad, ready to jot down any information and burn it into his memory.

But the sous-chef only shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. Anything that Makoto comes up with, I guess."

At that, the brunet nearly fell over and Kuroko wore a flat expression.

"As expected of Haru," Makoto sighed, "Although, I am flattered that you trust my judgement." He smiled sincerely. "I'll do my best to sweep you off your feet, then."

Haruka's eyes widened momentarily before he turned and bent over to examine the ratatouille closely. Makoto chuckled when he caught sight of the deep red colour at the tips of his ears.

* * *

"I will be going now," Kuroko bowed at the front entrance, "Thank you for having me over. Goodbye."

"No problem, Tetsuya-kun!" Makoto waved cheerfully. "Bye!"

"Have a safe trip," Haruka said calmly before waving and closing the apartment door. When he turned to walk away, Makoto wrapped his arms around his shoulders from behind.

"Haruuu," the brunet whined affectionately as he rubbed his cheek with Haruka's.

"What are you, a cat?" The sous-chef sighed, continuing to walk with his partner still latched on. "Can't be helped."

"Say, Haru," Makoto began, "can you tell me seriously what you'd think is romantic?"

"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

"Ah? Uh, well…" Makoto stuttered, sweating a little. "Tetsuya-kun made me think about it is all…"

Haruka watched him suspiciously from the corner of his eye, then blushed and decided to humour him.

"I guess…" He stopped in his tracks to think about it for a second. "…by a seashore. White sands, a clear sky, the calm waves rolling in and out…" the pinks in his cheeks traveled all the way up to his ears as he whispered with an airy voice, "…and only the two of us there – in our own little world."

Makoto slowly pictured everything that Haruka described. His heart skipped a few beats and then he instantly fell in love all over again.

"Haru…I love you," he whispered huskily as he tightened his embrace, bending his head down to plant several kisses on Haruka's neck.

Haruka's knees trembled; had Makoto not held him firmly, he would have fallen to the floor. He reached his hands up to grasp onto his partner's arms, bending his head back to rest on his shoulder.

"You have no idea how much I love you too, Makoto," he whispered back.

At that, the brunet scooped him up into a bridal lift. They both fluttered their eyes closed when Makoto lovingly rubbed his nose against Haruka's.

"Haru, I want to spoil you lots tonight," He chirped.

Haruka snorted with an adoring smile. "Go ahead."

It all became a blur that Saturday night as both men immersed themselves in each other's warmth. No one could have interrupted their weekend, because they always found alone time in their little world.

* * *

The following weekday that Makoto had off, the brunet decided to pick up his partner at the brunch restaurant. He timed it well – making sure to arrive around the time that Haruka usually finished his closing duties. With a chiming of the hanging doorbell, he entered the restaurant.

"Haru!" Makoto called out excitingly.

"Ah…Bana-chin," Murasakibara greeted tiredly.

"Hello Murasakibara-san! How was work?"

"Tiresome~ but I'm sure we earned a lot of profit today~" He lazily flipped a bunch of receipts in his hand then peeked into the kitchen for his kouhai. "Nana-chin~~ your hojicha pudding is here…"

"Hojicha pudding?!" Makoto jolted in surprise at the much odder nickname.

"Ah…? You don't know? Check the menu's dessert section~" Murasakibara pointed to the large chalk board on the side of the wall.

The brunet confusedly did as he was told. He went up to the board and scanned for the dessert section; then his eyes lit up in a glimmer as he gasped. The first thing listed in that section rocked him off his axis.

" _Makoto pudding – green tea crème brulée_."

Haruka walked out of the kitchen with his bag hoisted over his shoulder. "Hey Makoto, I'm ready to go," he uttered stoically.

The brunet approached him, gazing at him with watery eyes. "You named a dessert after me."

Haruka blinked.

"The dessert that landed you this job here; the one that was inspired by me; your signature dessert," he started to sniffle while grinning. "…You named it after me!" He bawled.

The sous-chef jolted slightly at his partner's sudden out-pour of emotions. But he snickered and let out an airy chuckle. He turned around to pull a tissue out of a tissue box that Murasakibara lazily held out.

"Sheesh, Makoto," He gently wiped the brunet's face, "what am I going to do with you?" He affectionately placed the tissue against Makoto's nose, to which the brunet blew his nose into.

"I…I…" Makoto hiccupped with tears still streaming down his face. "I love you so much, Haru!" He latched his arms around Haruka.

"I love you very much too, you know? Hojicha pudding-san." The sous-chef returned the embrace with a very soft laugh as Makoto bawled even more.

"You guys~~~ if you wanna play, go home to play. Not in my restaurant." Murasakibara pouted at the couple, emphasizing with a jingle of the restaurant keys.

That evening, the couple had green tea crème brulée for dessert as requested by the brunet. Makoto marveled at how his stoic partner could also be so romantic.

* * *

 **Notes** : Caaaaan yooou feel the fluff toniiiight~~? Hahaha! I felt the dynamic between Makoto and Haruka would be fluffier, so the atmosphere is slightly different. In comparison to the more shounen-anime KnB couple, that is.

I hate myself…this story talks and describes so much about food that I starve myself at my work desk when I write these. I'm masochistic like that. Hahaha! Kidding, kidding!

(1) Crème Brulée: It's my basic knowledge of the recipe, and just for the sake of not boring you, I cut the description in the story short. LOL So, apologies if I got the procedure inaccurately.

(2) Hojicha pudding: Green tea pudding.

(3) _Nana-chin_ : Murasakibara adds '-chin' to last names. It's a super cute way of addressing people casually. Hence, Nanase Haruka – 'Nana-chin'; voila.

(4) _Bana-chin_ : Derived from Murasakibara calling Himuro 'Muro-chin' and Aomine 'Mine-chin'. For those names, he adds the '-chin' to the second part instead of the first part of their names. For Tachibana Makoto, 'Tachi-chin' sounded odd, so I opted for 'Bana-chin' – it sounds like some kind of banana dessert that Murasakibara would whip up. LOL

(5) Maple Salmon: Shout-out to all my fellow Canadians as a proud Canadian myself! Eh! (boogies down) It's a really yummy dish; a must-try.

(6) Iwatobi no Basuke: According to Free! Wiki, Shigino Kisumi tried to recruit Makoto to join the Iwatobi Junior High basketball team. I thought it'd be interesting to mention how Kisumi had told Makoto about Teiko; and how his team got whooped by the Generation of Miracles. LOL

(7) The score: 117 to 6 points – I didn't pull the numbers out of my ass. LOL I kind of based them off of Makoto and Haruka's birthdays. (November 17 and June 30, respectively)


	4. Ch 4: Observation Skills

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : Ok, so according to my research, firemen have schedules where they have days off here and there. That's why you will see Kagami and Makoto chilling so much.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Observation Skills**

"Feels so nice!" Makoto sighed as a warm breeze swept past him while he ran the perimeter of the fire station.

He and Kagami were doing their usual training, jogging with the team that shared their shift. The days were getting hotter, so the team felt even more exhausted after going around the perimeter several times. The only thing that comforted them was the occasional wind that came along.

Unfortunately, the assistant chief overheard Kagami and Makoto chatting in the back and ordered them to the front of the line. The pair was forced to lead the team's run while calling out a cadence that everyone else echoed.

"I started out at the academy at zero,

But they don't know that I'm a silent hero!

I came rattling at the door at one,

Crying that I'll be fun on a bun!

I joined the platoon, tuning in at two,

A rookie on the field, I tripped on my shoe!

First distress call hit me at three,

Rescued a cat from a cherry tree!

The siren rang in my ears at four,

Got another call for a mini chore!

The captain sent me out all-set at five,

Had to knock out a raging beehive!

Should get better when they call me at six,

But some kid pulled an alarm for some stupid tricks!

Crossing my fingers at lucky number seven,

I'm so bored I can fly all the way to heaven!

But look at us, we're spiffy like number eight,

Lucky us, conserved our energy up-to-date!

So when they call us out for a level nine,

We'll be ready, set, looking damn fine!

Check out the team, we're made of ten,

The finest in the Tokyo F.D.'s men!"

The platoon snickered and chuckled between lines. It was just like their first-hand experiences and reality shocks on the job. They had serious calls, but really, most of them were exactly as described in the cadence. Regardless, everyone enjoyed their work.

Kagami scowled, whispering, "The captain added that damn cherry-tree cat line to spite me."

"Come on, the whole song is a compilation of our experiences – it's cute," Makoto whispered back with an airy laugh.

The redhead only grunted in irritation. When the brunet saw that the captain was further up front, he took the opportunity to chat with his kouhai again.

"Taiga-kun, tomorrow we have the morning shift, so how about we go ring-shopping after?" He asked almost excitedly. "It'd be a great help to have a second opinion from you!"

"Ah? Sure, but you're going to have to make the final decision," Kagami stared at him with a flat look, indicating how indecisive Makoto could get.

"Of course!" Makoto chirped confidently.

Kagami gave him another long look before he let out a teasing grin, wriggling his eyebrows. "You just want another excuse to visit Haruka-san at work again, huh?"

Makoto lightly elbowed his kouhai in the ribs, letting out an embarrassed snort; the former Seirin ace sighed with a "gee, senpai" before the assistant chief whirled around to face them.

"Hey! You two little snots never learn, do you?" The assistant chief jogged backwards. "'From Zero to Ten', again!"

Both men groaned (Kagami roared). It was just another one of those training days.

* * *

The day had come for Makoto's ring shopping. Like he planned, he was in the jewelry store in the Ginza district. His eyebrows raised and drooped in all sorts of combinations as he traversed the display cases with Kagami.

"There! These ones!" Makoto finally pointed his finger enthusiastically on the glass display case.

Kagami stood next to him and bent his knees to get a better look inside the case. On one of the stands was a pair of white gold-plated rings. The rings had a plain band as a base, but as they winded upwards, they emerged into a silver design; a dolphin and a small orca whale swam above and below each other, having somewhat of a compressed yin-yang shape; between them were a gleaming diamond. What stood out in comparison was the price tag.

"What do you think?" Makoto asked the redhead with shimmering eyes.

"I think you already decided," Kagami stated with a sigh and smile. He flipped his phone open to browse through his contact list. When he found Akashi's number, he dialed and waited patiently. In a matter of seconds, his old teammate picked up.

"Taiga," Akashi sounded almost surprised on the other side, "This is unusual."

"Yeah, nice to hear from you too." Kagami grumbled with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway, uh…thanks for the rings again," He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He did not expect the call to be this awkward.

"You're welcome. I take it the proposal went well with Tetsuya?"

"It did. Uh, listen, I brought in some business for you," Kagami quickly cut to the chase as he always did, "I kinda need a favour."

"Oh? Well this feels like déjà vu." The former Rakuzan captain had an intimidating, regal tone in his voice.

Kagami started to feel very awkward. He was not so sure if he wanted to ask Akashi for another discount. But he looked out of his periphery to see his senpai beaming at the sight of the rings, so he decided to stand his ground.

"Look, I'm at your jewelry store in Ginza again. A really good friend of mine is getting married and he has his eyes set on a pair of your rings," he explained with determination, "Do you think you could gi-"

"Everybody put your hands in the air!"

A man with a surgical mask and dark cap covering his face entered the store. He raised his handgun in the air, immediately frightening everyone else to kneel on the floor. The store salespeople had their hands in the air; the customers gasped and screamed in terror; Kagami and Makoto knelt down on one knee, steadily hiding behind the display cases in the middle of the store.

"Taiga-kun," Makoto whispered wearily with furrowed brows.

"Crap…this is seriously unlucky," Kagami hissed.

"How many robbers are there?" Akashi sternly but calmly asked on the other side of the line.

"Uh?" Kagami raised a confused brow.

Akashi was unbelievably calm during that time. But it was not the time to admire him – Kagami peeked the top of his head out of the top of the display case. The robber pointed his gun everywhere, his knees were visibly shaking.

"What the-? An inexperienced robber? I don't know if I should be relieved or not."

"It's just one, right?" Akashi asked imploringly.

"Y-yeah." Kagami was getting confused.

"Okay. Hang up and don't do anything else. I'll call you back later."

With a clicking sound on the other side, Kagami stuttered in utter confusion. "W-what the-? Damn it," he cursed as he flipped his phone closed. "Can't be helped." He peeked out from the side of the display case, looking for openings to jump at the robber. When he found one, he jerked forward, but Makoto pulled him back by the arm.

"Taiga-kun! Don't do anything rash!" The brunet whispered.

"But-!" Kagami whispered back hoarsely.

"Think about Tetsuya-kun!"

Kagami immediately calmed down at that, but balled his fists. "Tch! Damn it all!"

"Ga-gather all the jewelry and cash! A-and give 'em to me!" The robber yelled desperately, trembling the gun in his grasp.

But not long after, three clicking guns sounded behind the robber. The man slowly turned around to see the safeties of three handguns unlocked and their barrels pointing at him.

"Freeze! Police!" One officer yelled out.

"You're outnumbered, boy," a second officer smirked.

"Drop the weapon," a third officer ordered.

Makoto cautiously peered out from the corner of a display case, his eyes widening in recognition of the first two police officers.

"Sousuke and Rin!" He smiled with newfound hope.

Kagami eyed his senpai, then looked out at the scene himself - the third officer caught his eye.

"Aomine?!" He whispered hoarsely.

All three officers wore the Tokyo P.D. uniform – a dark-blue, short-sleeved dress shirt with matching dress pants; and a dark-blue police cap with the police department's sigil at the front. The sigil was also embroidered on both sides of their sleeves and all the buttons had a gold hue.

The three watched the robber intently; Sousuke with his piercing teal eyes; Rin with his metallic magenta orbs; and Aomine with his electric sapphire irises.

"What the-?" Aomine grumbled, pulling back his firearm. "Senpai, this guy's gun is a fake."

"Huh?" Rin flipped his dark magenta hair back.

"It's one of those stupid water pistols painted to look like a real gun. Look closely," Aomine pointed at the nervous robber's firearm, "the paint's kinda chipped off on the side."

"Sh-sh-sh-shut up!" The robber stammered, alternating his aim between the three officers. "It's real! Y-y-ou d-don't wanna r-risk it!" His fingers slipped, pulling the trigger and indeed, a small spout of water came out.

The three officers gaped at him with a flat look.

"Ahhhhh!" He dropped the water gun, attempting to run past them.

"Oh no you don't," Sousuke muttered coolly as he stuck his foot out, tripping the robber.

Rin then jumped onto the thief's back, straddling him while cuffing his wrists. "You're under arrest!" He grinned, baring his shark-like teeth. "For attempted robbery and trying to make a mockery of Tokyo P.D.!"

The crowds in the store gasped in awe as the officers hauled the robber to his feet; Sousuke fixed his dark-brown locks as he reiterated the man's rights while he nudged him out the entrance. When they brought him outside, the people cheered and muttered amongst one another.

"Unbelievable!" Makoto was left aghast. "Two of them used to be my swim team's rivals."

Kagami raised a brow. "The other one was one of my Vorpal Swords teammates."

What a small world, it was. With that, the two ran after the officers.

"Watch your head, doofus." Rin gently pushed down the robber's head as he guided him into the backseat of the police car. "You're looking for a couple of months if the judges are in a good mood," he commented before closing the car door.

"Nice observation skills, kouhai." Sousuke gave a strong hearty pat to Aomine's back while Rin punched him rewardingly in the arm.

"Yeah, good call on the fake gun!"

"Pfft. whatever," Aomine pouted dismissively, but he was secretly flattered inside. His tanned skin had a slightly darkened patch where Rin punched, and he massaged it embarrassedly.

"Sousuke! Rin!" Makoto called out as he approached them.

The two officers' faces brightened.

"Makoto! Long time no see!" Rin clasped his hand in the air with the brunet's. "What's up?"

"We saw you take care of that robber! So you're with Tokyo P.D. now?"

"Yeah," Rin rubbed his knuckles proudly on the badge over the left side of his chest.

"That's so cool! My kouhai and I are with the fire department," Makoto exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh yeah?" He flashed a toothy grin at him. "That's good to hear! Guess we'll be working in a similar field."

"Un!" Makoto nodded then brought his kouhai forward with a light push to his back. "Right, let me introduce Kagami Taiga, my kouhai."

Rin waved his hand in the air. "Hey there, nice to meet y-"

"Kagami?!" Aomine interrupted his senpai with a bewildered crescendo in his voice. "You're with the F.D. now?"

"Nice to meet you, Rin-san and Sousuke-san. Yes, I'm with the F.D.." The redhead greeted, then turned to Aomine. "And yo, Aho-mine," he deadpanned.

"You bastard, you still call me that after all these years?" Aomine comically grit his teeth at him.

"Pfft!" Rin tried to stifle a laugh while Sousuke turned away to hide a snicker. "'Aho-mine'! That's genius! Someone is totally getting a new nickname back at our division."

"Senpai!" Aomine growled, his reputation shattered. He turned back to point rudely at Kagami. "Look what you've done, Bakagami!"

"Haa? What'd you say?" Kagami snapped, but flinched when he heard his senpai chuckle.

"'Bakagami'," Makoto giggled, covering his mouth with one hand.

"Senpai!" Kagami roared in embarrassment.

"Ah, nice to meet you, Makoto-san." Aomine waved a hand briefly in the air then pointed at the redhead. "You should consider giving him that nickname back at the fire department. It'll make your kouhai stand out a lot."

Kagami rammed his forehead into Aomine's. "Just because you get a new work nickname, doesn't mean I need one!"

"An eye for an eye, punk ass!" The former Toō ace forced all his weight forward with a growl, simulating a ram headbutt fight with the redhead.

"Now, now, break it up you two." Sousuke stepped between them with poise then grasped the crown of Aomine's head with one hand. "And you, play nice," he chided him with a brotherly voice.

The dark-skinned officer huffed in irritation.

At the same time, Makoto gently pulled Kagami's shoulder back, immediately calming his kouhai. "Taiga-kun, politeness, politeness," he reminded him with a soft yet reprimanding smile.

Aomine pointed at the two firemen and stared at his senpai. "See?! Why can't you two treat me like that?"

"'Cause," Rin hopped up to circle an arm around his taller kouhai's neck, bringing him down into a headlock. "You're not cute enough for that treatment!" He grinned while Aomine struggled in his grasp. "So what brings you two here?" He looked up at the firemen.

"Ah, I was shopping for wedding rings," Makoto scratched his cheek shyly with his index finger.

"Wedding rings?" Sousuke and Rin asked in unison.

"I'm uh…planning on proposing to Haru!" The brunet chirped, to which the two officers beamed.

"Makoto, you dog!" Rin smacked him in the shoulder encouragingly, flashing another toothy grin.

"I knew you'd both make it this far. Congrats and good luck." Sousuke gave him an approving nod.

"But wow, the Ginza district?" Rin wriggled his brows with a smirk. "Really trying to get a bang for your buck, huh?"

"Well, I found the perfect set the last time I came here to help Taiga-kun pick a set," Makoto explained.

Aomine perked up. "The last time?" He repeated, eyeing Kagami. "What, you got married?" He snorted.

"I did," the redhead raised his left hand proudly to show his ring, "to Tetsuya." He grinned.

"Wait, wha-?" Aomine wriggled out of Rin's clutches. "Tetsuya?! Like, Kuroko Tetsuya?! Tetsu?!" He asked disbelievingly, and his jaw dropped when Kagami nodded. "You really hit it off with Tetsu?! And now you guys are married?" He turned his head to the side to gape at his two senpai.

Sousuke and Rin exchanged glances with one another and blushed before turning their heads away to whistle, feigning nonchalance.

Aomine felt surrounded. "What the actual fu-?!"

Sousuke whacked him across the back of his head. "Language, kouhai," he scolded him with a sigh.

Kagami snickered in satisfaction at the sight; he watched Aomine rub the back of his neck and straighten up to give him a serious look.

"Ah, congrats, albeit the lateness, I guess," the officer said reluctantly, almost with a shyness in his voice.

"Yeah, thanks." Kagami grinned, holding out his knuckles to which Aomine then bumped his fist against with a pout.

"Ah, right. Akashi was the one who called me to come over. He knew I was patrolling the district," the dark-skinned officer explained.

The redhead smiled wryly with a sigh. "Leave it to Akashi to manipulate his insane networks." At that moment, his phone buzzed. "Oh right! He said he'd call me back to discuss a discount! I gotta leave you guys and go back with Makoto-senpai!" He walked backwards towards the store and fished his phone out. "Later, Aomine! Nice meeting you, Rin-san and Sousuke-san!" He waved two fingers away from his forehead in a salute before flipping his phone open and entering the store. "Yo, Akashi, the store's safe…"

"Let's catch up someday, guys! Bye, Aomine-kun!" He waved at the officers before following his kouhai into the store.

"See ya!"

While the senior officers waved goodbye, Aomine had already begun mounting his motor bike behind the car. Rin ran next to him and pulled him into another headlock while Sousuke roughly tussled his short, black locks.

"What was that reaction back there, huh?" Rin playfully frowned at him, showing two rows of sharp teeth.

Aomine grunted, cautiously inching away. "What reaction?" He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Poor guy's envious because he's the only one who's left single," Sousuke commented.

"Am not! Stop being so couple-y in front of me, dammit!" Aomine growled, to which both of his senpai snorted amusedly.

Sousuke lightly tapped the back of his fingers on Rin's elbow. "Alright, let's get going. We're back at the training facility tomorrow."

* * *

Kagami sighed with a snicker, watching his senpai place an order for the ring set excitedly. After getting off the phone with Akashi, a 50% discount and free customization were negotiated. Makoto described all the details to the salesperson.

"So we're actually both size 8 – yes! It's such a coincidence-! Oh, I'd like to think we are soulmates, haha…" Makoto chuckled with a blush across his cheeks as he chatted with the salesperson. "Oh, and instead of a diamond, can I have a choice for alternate gems? Really, I can? Then I want…"

The redhead grinned. He had never seen his senpai this decisive before. It reminded him of that firm grip Makoto had on his arm when he wanted to attack the robber. If he had not held him back, Kagami would have lost his life had it been a real gun. He traced his thumb on the back of his ring and thought of Kuroko. What would have happened to Kuroko?

He imagined his husband, shoulders hunched over with streams of tears flowing down his pale cheeks. It reminded him of the time Kuroko cried like that during their first Inter-high competition; the image burned clearly into his memory. Immediately his heart sank – he did not want Kuroko to ever go through that kind of sadness again. From then on, he promised to keep himself level-headed for the sake of both of them. He needed to spend the rest of his life with Kuroko.

"Thank you very much! I'll come pick them up when they're ready!" Makoto shook hands with the salesperson.

Kagami took a peek at the ring order forms on the counter, smiling. He could not wait to go home to Kuroko.

* * *

"I'm home…" Kagami called out tiredly, closing the door and turning around at the genkan. But he nearly tripped when he bumped into something, or rather, someone. He looked down and caught sight of Kuroko before he flinched a little. "Oh, Tetsuya."

" _Welcome home_ , _Kagami-kun_ ," The bluenet greeted in English.

Kagami traced his eyes up and down his husband. Kuroko was wearing a pastel-yellow apron over a white shirt; he had comfortable, baggy, gray pants under; and a pair of reading glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. The redhead really liked the look – it had a home kind of feel. He smiled back lovingly.

" _I'm home, Tetsuya,"_ he replied in English as well, diving in for a quick kiss. " _Did you kind of miss me?"_

" _No,"_ Kuroko retorted bluntly.

"What the heck? You're supposed to say ' _yes_ '," Kagami playfully furrowed his brows and ruffled the bluenet's hair.

"That's because it's not ' _kind of_ '," Kuroko explained while fixing his hair, proceeding to answer in English again, " _It's because I missed Kagami-kun very, very much_."

The redhead flustered, stammering at the line. He did not expect Kuroko's English to have gotten that well. It was indeed arousing.

He pulled Kuroko into an embrace with a chuckle. "You really improved despite the tiny accent," he complimented.

"I learn fast under your tutelage," Kuroko returned the embrace. He reached his hand up Kagami's back, smoothing out his shirt fabric. Then he broke away from the hug. "Right, now that I expanded my skill set, I can finally say this…" He stared blankly at Kagami, who watched him with a raised brow. "Good work today. What would you like first? A bath, dinner, a shoulder massage, or…" His eyes shimmered as he smiled with an innocent blush across his face. "…or me?"

Kagami froze with a large gulp. Had his body been weak, he most probably would have reacted with a severe nosebleed. But at that moment, he just felt bliss.

"I only want you today," He knelt down on the floor so that he could rest his head on Kuroko's chest while hugging him.

The bluenet blinked, proceeding to pet his dark-red hair. "Not even dinner?"

"Nothing else can compare to you," Kagami muttered.

Kuroko's eyes widened for a moment and he blushed all the way up to his ears. He cupped his husband's face in the palms of his hands, caressing his cheeks with his thumbs.

"What's gotten into you?" Kuroko asked stoically yet with a little curiosity in his voice.

"N-nothing." Kagami snuggled more into the embrace. "I'm just glad to come home to you and be home, is all."

Kuroko began to worry a little. "You're saying one embarrassing thing after another. Are you alright?"

The redhead grasped him tightly then stood up, flipping the bluenet into a bridal lift. "Sorry, legs were getting numb," he explained, "I'm really okay," he grinned confidently before lowering his head to kiss Kuroko.

The sixth prodigy raised a hand to pinch Kagami's nose, stopping the redhead's advance. "Something happened, did it?" He asked insistently while wiggling Kagami's nose side-to-side. "Spill it."

Kagami jerked his nose out of his grasp, growling comically. "Ah! Okay, okay fine! Something happened!" He pouted and grumbled as he locked his gaze with Kuroko's blank stare. "I…got caught in the middle of a robbery at the jewelry store," he explained reluctantly.

Kuroko's eyes widened. Kagami walked them both to the living room to set Kuroko down on the couch. He sat next to him, reaching an arm around him as he recounted the events; how the robber had a fake gun; how he met Sousuke and Rin; how he bumped into Aomine, who was with the Tokyo Police then; how they saved him and Makoto…he did not want to tell him about it, really. It was worrisome for nothing, but he knew that he could not get past Kuroko's insistency.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Kuroko sighed as he snuggled closer to the redhead.

"Mm, yeah," Kagami caressed his shoulder with his thumb, a tinge of pink forming on his cheeks.

"I thought you'd do something rash like take out the robber on your own."

Kagami tensed at that; he rolled his eyes to the side and grinned nervously. "N-No, of course not."

Kuroko felt his husband's back muscles tighten. Over several years of observing the redhead, he memorized every movement, every twitch, and what they meant. He furrowed his brows. "You thought about doing it, did you?"

"Wha-? I- uh, er…" Kagami stuttered, his face heated up as the bluenet stared at him with grumpy eyes. "I _thought_ about it, but Makoto-senpai pulled me back!" He saw Kuroko drew his palm back in the same stance as when he was about to do an ignite pass, aiming for Kagami's nose. "I stopped also because I thought of you!" He said as he flinched an arm up to block and yelped.

Kuroko let out a surprised grunt, retracting his palm. He gaped questioningly at the redhead who breathed a sigh of relief.

"That is…" Kagami lowered his arm and tried to gather his thoughts. "I realized if anything happened to me, you'd be really sad."

"You got that right." Kuroko gave him a serious look, sounding almost threatening.

Kagami raised a skeptical brow and gulped nervously. "I didn't do it in the end, alright?" He sighed hoarsely. "And well, on the way home, I just felt that I gotta treasure every moment with you," he explained while massaging the back of his neck shyly, "I don't…want to miss anything with you, Tetsuya."

Kuroko's eyes shifted from its usual blank stare to a longing gaze. "Kagami-kun," he began with an airy voice.

The redhead only managed to utter a questioning "hm?" before Kuroko quickly closed in for a kiss. Kagami was taken aback – it was rare for Kuroko to make the initiative. But when he did, the redhead felt as excited as fireworks erupting across the summer night skies. Kuroko pushed himself upwards, beckoning Kagami with a deeper kiss. With a husky moan, the redhead dove in to answer him with a hungrier kiss. Kuroko slid his arms around the taller man's shoulders for support, and Kagami went with the flow as he bent over to accommodate him. Eventually, the sixth prodigy pulled back to watch the other man with half-lidded eyes.

"That was one of the most seductive things you've ever said so far," Kuroko commented with a breathy voice, "Kagami-kun can be very romantic when he wants to be."

Kagami gazed at him with hungry and wild eyes. "Look who's talking." He pounced forward, toppling Kuroko backwards onto the couch and trapping his body under his. "You won't be getting away using misdirection any time soon." He grinned mischievously.

"I can still find a way to escape even like this," Kuroko stated bluntly, to which Kagami grasped both of his wrists and pinned them down next to each side of his head.

The redhead cupped his lips over the side of Kuroko's neck, closing in and gently sucking on the smooth patch of skin. Kuroko tilted his neck to the side to accommodate him and let out a soft sigh. When Kagami released the patch of skin with a smack to his lips, the bluenet moaned breathily. Kagami briefly traced his tongue on the reddened patch before he hovered over his husband.

"Can I have you now?" He purred. "Mmmmu…" The redhead puckered his lips, leaning down towards Kuroko's mouth.

"Arf!"

Both men whipped their heads to the side to see Nigou wagging his tail and watching them with a large smile. Kagami scowled while Kuroko let out an airy snicker.

"Nigou, sit!" Kagami ordered firmly, to which the husky obeyed. "Now…" He quickly scooped Kuroko up into his arms and ran for the bedroom.

"Kagami-kun! Control yourself!" Kuroko scolded him while latching his arms dearly around his neck.

"No time! Nigou might get up and follow us!" Kagami roared before clicking his tongue, "Tch! I'm not hurrying because of _that_!"

"That's a lame excuse, pervert-Kagami."

"I'm so gonna make you eat your own words!"

"That's my line."

"Challenge accepted, you little runt!"

And with that, Kagami closed the bedroom door behind him. Nigou sat still, tilting his head to the side in confusion as he heard muffled noises coming from the couple's bedroom.

* * *

 **A/N** : Rin, Sousuke and Aomine actually have the RGB colour combination of eyes – hahaha, what a team! Well, there you have it! The police force! I'll try to write as many interactions as possible, but I don't want to make it messy at the same time. So I'll feed you all bit by bit. Please review!

(1) The cadence: I know Hong Kong firefighters have cadences during their training jogs. But I'm not quite sure if Japan has them. I still added a cadence scene just because the rhymes are fun to write. I wrote that one with as little vulgarity as possible. LOL

(2) Ginza: One of the high-end shopping districts in Tokyo.

(3) Implied Sousuke x Rin: This couple seems canon enough. Haha. I'm not sure if I'll have a chapter focused on them or not. Let me know if you guys would like that.

(4) Alone forever: Poor Aomine. I would like to pair him with someone, but I'm not sure who. I once saw a couple meme where Aomine was paired with himself. "The only one who can go out with me is me." Hahaha! Do give me suggestions, or if you want him to stay as is.

(5) Aho-mine: It's a play on words on Aomine's name. 'Aho' means stupid or moron.


	5. Ch 5: The Puppy-dog Eyes

**Future Basket**

 **A/N:** This was kind of inspired by watching the second ending to Free! Remember when Rin was shown getting hosed along with his dog? Dogs are very fun to write.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 5** : **The Puppy-dog Eyes**

The next morning, Kuroko's eyes fluttered open. He rolled over in his bed to stretch, but realized that Kagami had already gotten out of bed; the redhead had the morning shift again. And he – Kuroko looked down to find that he was only clad in the bed sheet wrapped around his body.

His stomach grumbled – right, they had gone straight to bed after Kagami came home. After what felt like hours of… _intimate activity_ …the couple was exhausted enough to sleep into the next morning. Hence, he had not eaten since the previous day's lunch. He wondered how Kagami had lasted like that. But some splattering and frying noises from the kitchen answered that.

Kuroko smiled, reaching over to the nightstand to wear his ring. He got up drowsily, putting on his slippers; his clothes were nowhere to be found, so he opted for the dark-blue shirt that hung on the chair's backrest. He passed by the long mirror beside the bedroom door, eyeing his spiky, powder-blue bed hair. The short-sleeved shirt was Kagami's F.D. uniform – it definitely was oversized as it draped down until just above the bluenet's kneecaps. Kuroko blinked sleepily at his own reflection then made his way to the kitchen.

The scent was heavenly. Kagami was most likely making - he sniffed the air - cheese and onion frittata, a recipe he had brought back from the States. Kuroko stopped at the corner of the opening to the kitchen.

Kagami was busy flipping the frittata in a frying pan and cut pieces to taste every now and then. His red apron swayed over his black t-shirt and white baggy pants. Like a relentless habit, Kuroko stayed there and watched him from the distance. Then his ears perked up. When he listened closely, he swore it was his imagination until he heard a louder humming and then…singing.

" _This is the story of my glory road – I wrote a zero…_ "

Kagami was absentmindedly singing a tune that Kuroko had kept replaying on his mp3 for some time. As he sang out random lines from the song, Nigou sat close to him, softly howling along. Kuroko chuckled quietly; he felt blessed to have such a warm family.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko called out, emerging from his spot at the kitchen opening.

"Oh," Kagami spun around to greet him with the frying pan in his grip. "Good morning, Tetsu-" He froze in place, eyes widening and tracing up and down his husband.

Kuroko blinked confusedly, tilting his head to the side before he pointed at the frying pan in Kagami's hand. "The frittata's going to spill."

"Uh-wha-huh? Oh!" The redhead snapped out of his trance and placed the pan on a thick coaster on the kitchen island.

As he let go of the handle, Kuroko had already slipped around the island to stand next to him; the shorter man hopped on his toes to give the redhead a lazy peck on the cheek. Kagami turned to face him, letting out a chuckle.

"You're really affectionate today," he commented as he pulled Kuroko to his side with one arm and bent down to kiss him on the forehead. "And very cute." He eyed the oversized shirt on Kuroko.

"I just put on the first thing I saw this morning." The bluenet rubbed his eyes sleepily. "I'm exhausted still…" His stomach let out another complaining grumble. "…and hungry."

Kagami chuckled, tussling the shorter man's already messy hair. "Yeah, sorry about getting carried away last night." He winked at his husband. "I made a large breakfast to make it up to you."

"You had better." Kuroko snuggled closer to the redhead, to which the taller man snickered. He then proceeded to comment stoically, "Kagami-kun sings really well, by the way."

"Dah-ah?" Kagami stumbled and began to blush with an embarrassed frown. "You…you heard me?" When he saw Kuroko nod teasingly, he turned even redder. "Uh well…the song kinda reminds me of you, somehow…" He tried to avert his gaze from the bluenet's smiling eyes. "The singer has a nice voice."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, but," Kagami gripped Kuroko's shoulder firmly and dipped him down, earning a light gasp from the bluenet. "Your voice is more captivating. Especially the sounds you made yesterday." He puckered his lips and lowered himself towards Kuroko for a kiss.

"Go away, pervert-Kagami," Kuroko turned his head away teasingly, attempting to hide his amused smile. But he could not help but let out airy chuckles when Kagami planted several kisses all over him regardless.

"Arf!"

Kagami paused, whipping his head to the side to see Nigou wagging his tail and watching them again with a silly smile. He scowled at the husky and monotonously scolded him.

"Bad dog."

Kuroko snickered, putting his hands onto Kagami's shoulders to lift himself upright. "Nigou's just happy to be in such a warm family." He looked lovingly into his husband's eyes.

Kagami blinked then perked up as he registered what Kuroko said. He smiled back just as warmly before he put a hand on Kuroko's cheek, caressing the blushed skin with his thumb. After another moment, he slowly dove down for another kiss.

 _Ding dong_!

"AHH! MAN!" Kagami jolted up with a click of his tongue and stomped grumpily to the apartment door. "I swear! I just want ONE uninterrupted moment right now. Just ONE!" He grabbed onto the door handle and roughly pulled it open. "Yes?!"

Makoto blinked and proceeded to raise his hand to wave nervously at the redhead. "Good morning, Taiga-kun!" He managed to chirp.

"Makoto-senpai?" Kagami raised a brow.

Kuroko slowly peeked out from behind the redhead. "Good morning, Makoto-san."

The brunet jolted a little in surprise. "Ah! Good morning, Tetsuya-kun!" He then cheerfully hoisted the straps of backpack up his shoulders. "I'm here to pick up Taiga-kun for work on the way!"

Kagami frowned playfully at the brunet. "Really?" His question was more rhetorical than anything, but Makoto replied with a cheerful 'Un!' anyway. Kagami groaned, irritably rubbing his face with one hand. "Sheesh, senpai…"

"Arf! Arf!" Nigou pushed past the couple, nearly toppling them before he hopped on his hind legs to place his paws on Makoto's thighs.

"Uwah…! Who is this?" Makoto gasped happily, bending down to pet the husky. "Who are you, little one? Aww, what a cute doggy," he cooed when Nigou licked his cheek.

"Damn dog!" Kagami grumbled.

"That's Nigou, our dog," Kuroko explained monotonously as he opened the door wider to welcome Makoto into the apartment.

"Oh, I see! Sorry for the intrusion," Makoto said politely and entered the apartment with everyone else. When he was guided to the living room, he turned his attention back to the canine. "You guys never told me you had a dog."

"Didn't wanna bring it up," Kagami deadpanned.

"Makoto-san never brought it up in conversations," Kuroko retorted.

"Heh?" The brunet eyed them both curiously. "I'd say this little guy would be a conversation starter! He's so cute!"

Kagami scoffed. "He's so not cute most of the time."

"Kagami-kun is just tsundere towards Nigou," Kuroko commented.

"Hey!"

"Aw, but how could you resist such eyes?" Makoto cupped Nigou's face to stare into his clear-blue eyes.

It was true; Nigou had the same eyes as Kuroko – much to the redhead's chagrin, because he almost always fell for those blue orbs. Kagami grumbled with a pout.

"Ah, gimme a sec, senpai. I'm gonna eat and then grab my stuff to get going." He made his way to the kitchen in a hurry.

Makoto watched Kagami walk away. Not before long, Nigou panted happily and followed the former Seirin ace. The brunet chuckled.

"Oh, Tetsuya, give me my uniform," Kagami called out from the kitchen.

"Come and get it yourself," Kuroko challenged stoically.

Makoto waited patiently with a sheepish smile while the two engaged in another relaying couple bicker.

* * *

Kagami stood outside the fire station for some fresh air. He stretched his arms into the air and let out a long, wide yawn - much like a tiger's. He had just finished typing a few incident reports – paperwork had to be the most boring part of the job for him.

"Man, I hate sitting in a cubicle," he commented with a cracking of his neck side-to-side.

Makoto stood next to him, jogging in place to get his blood circulation going. "But it makes us appreciate the fresh air more, right?"

Kagami sighed hoarsely. "Senpai, you're always so optimistic, are you?" And with a cheery "Mmhm!" from Makoto, he let out an even longer sigh. "So, when's the pickup day for your rings?"

"They said in about a week and that they'd call me to let me know," Makoto chirped, "But I wonder where I should hide the box when I get them…"

"Oh yeah, I remember I had to hide mine from Tetsuya. For like a week, I hid the box on top of the highest shelf in the kitchen." Kagami snorted. "By the way, did you finally come up with proposal preparations?"

"I have an idea of what I want to do…" Makoto pondered. "I'm just not sure when to do it."

Kagami chuckled briefly before he pat his senpai's shoulder supportively. "You'll know when the time comes."

Makoto looked up at him with a determined smile. He nodded in agreement. Before Kagami could say anything else, the two firemen heard a call from across the street.

"Hey! Makoto and Kagami?" Rin waved at them.

Sousuke and Aomine stood beside him. Rin had two leashes in each hand; one pulling on a Doberman and another pulling on a German Shepherd. Each of the dogs' collars had their metal-plated nametags attached with their names engraved onto them. A flat, leather cuff hooked to each collar with the Tokyo P.D. sigil snapped on top.

Makoto's face lit up. "Hey everyone! What are you guys doing here?"

The three officers crossed the street with their dogs and approached him.

"Training," Sousuke explained while he bent down to pet the Doberman, "We're actually part of the K-9 Unit."

"Yeah, the training facility for the Unit is across the street from your fire station," Rin explained while pointing his thumb at the edifice behind him.

"Oh is that so?" Makoto showed a beaming smile. "So we'll be seeing you guys often now!"

"Oh yeah, definitely," Aomine grinned mischievously, "You'll be seeing us often AND our dogs." He shot Kagami a look.

The former Seirin ace scowled, shoulders lifted in tension as he eyed the two K-9 Unit dogs. Although he had gotten acquainted with Nigou at home, his fear of dogs never really dissipated. It did not help much that the K-9 Unit was trained to attack on command as well. He started to get stressed.

"Chaco, Cola! Salute," Rin ordered the dogs firmly, to which they each barked once in obedience.

Makoto gasped in awe while Kagami grunted in surprise. The redhead slowly stepped behind his senpai for cover, sweat trickling down his temple. But he quickly lost the safety of his shield when Makoto knelt down in front of the dogs.

"They're so gallant! Can I pet them? Or are they still on duty?"

"They're on a break with us, so go ahead," Sousuke gave permission.

Makoto put a hand on each dog's head, gently caressing them both. Chaco and Cola's tails immediately started wagging happily.

"They're adorable! I'd take you both home if I could," he cooed.

"Don't spoil them too much, now," Rin chuckled.

While Makoto continued to pet them, the Doberman and German Shepherd seemed to have heard Kagami's gulp. They turned their attention to the redhead, ears perking up and they hung their tongues out in happy smiles. Kagami did not understand why he attracted dogs so much – his body language clearly told them to keep away. Yet the police dogs had begun to advance towards him. The redhead yelped, legs freezing in place from tension. Cola and Chaco stood on their hind legs to paw at his thighs.

"Uwah! S-S-Senpai!" Kagami yelled out in a cracked voice.

Everyone watched with wide, confused eyes while Aomine bent over with laughter. Rin immediately pulled on both leashes.

"Woah, woah! Cola, Chaco! Down, boys! Sit!" He ordered the canines to which they took one last look at Kagami before they sat where they were.

Makoto walked over to put a supportive hand on his kouhai's shoulder. "Taiga-kun, are you okay?"

"Y-yes." Kagami flustered while massaging his chest where his thumping heart was. "S-Sorry, I don't do well with dogs."

"Eh?" Makoto blinked in bewilderment. "But you have a husky at home?"

Kagami's voice still cracked. "Yeah, but I've been living with him for years."

"Ah, sorry about that. They probably sniffed your dog's scent on you and got all excited." Sousuke smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"Pfft!" Aomine tried to stifle another laugh. "Good boys, Cola and Chaco. Show some K-9 lovin' to Kagami."

Rin and Sousuke smacked him across the back of his head at the same time. The force was enough to make Aomine lose balance.

"What the hell, senpai?!" The former Toō ace growled while massaging the back of his head.

"Be nice," Rin wagged his finger in a reprimanding way at him before flashing a sharp grin and adding, "Aho-mine."

"Senpai, you!"

Kagami managed a snort while hiding behind Makoto. He grasped onto the brunet's shoulders as if he was holding up a wide blockading shield.

"Taiga-kun…" Makoto sighed disapprovingly before shooting a curious look out of his periphery at Kagami. "By the way, how come you're okay with Nigou but not other dogs?"

"Yeah, a person with cynophobia, yet you have a pet dog. It's interesting," Sousuke commented.

"I really wasn't okay with him at first," Kagami explained with a grimace, "He was my high school basketball team's mascot. Then Tetsuya took him home after graduation, then I got used to him. But just him and yeah, well…more like I HAD to get used to him."

All of them listened intently as he recounted the days before moving into the apartment with Kuroko.

 _A few summers back, after Kuroko finished his teaching certificate, the couple was already in the process of packing to move in together. But there was just one hindrance._

" _No."_

 _Kagami gave Kuroko a stern look. The bluenet held Nigou vertically in his arms - the dog's lower half dangled in the air; Nigou had gotten big enough that Kuroko could no longer hold him with just his hands. Kagami shifted his stern glare to the husky. It was true that he had gotten accustomed to Nigou, but that did not mean that he learned to fancy the canine. In fact, more than terrifying, he found this dog to be an annoyance above all else._

" _Leave him at your parents' place!" the redhead groaned._

" _But he's attached to us," Kuroko reasoned stoically._

" _He's attached to only YOU!" Kagami comically growled, pointing his index finger at him._

" _All the more reason he should be living with me."_

 _Checkmate._

 _The former Seirin ace dug his own grave; he stuttered in failed attempts to find a good retort. He mentally cursed himself for not finding a place that strictly forbade animals in the lease. But, there they were. Just when he was about to throw a fit, Kuroko and Nigou both watched him pleadingly in the same puppy-dog eyes._

 _Double checkmate._

" _Alright! Alright, fine! But," Kagami attempted to suppress a blush. He wagged a stern finger at the shorter man. "You will be responsible for everything dog-related. That means feeding, grooming, walking, picking up its crap, picking up its rear-end crap…"_

 _Kuroko dropped Nigou on the floor to give the taller man a strong hug. "Thank you."_

 _The husky hung his tongue out, happily panting while making beelines around the couple. Kagami grumbled irritably; he was not going to enjoy this part of their life together._

* * *

 _Months had passed since the day the couple settled in their new home. Kagami indeed enjoyed every part of the new life with Kuroko…except for the part with Nigou in it. There were times when the dog did seem somewhat adorable. But most of the time, Nigou was an eyesore to the redhead._

 _Fast forward to the days before Kagami proposed to Kuroko, the redhead had come home from the jewelry store after picking up the ring set. Nervously, he pocketed the box in his white windbreaker and entered his apartment with a turn of his keys. Once inside, he rolled his eyes irritably as he heard the fast-approaching pattering of husky paws._

" _Arf!" Nigou greeted, wagging his tail excitedly._

" _Yeah, hi," Kagami lazily pet the dog before making his way to the kitchen. He looked around anxiously, making sure that he would not get surprised by Kuroko's misdirection. It was probably one of the few moments, outside the basketball court, when he had to have complete awareness of his surroundings. "Kuroko! I'm home!" He called out, hoping to get an answer to gauge where the bluenet was._

" _Welcome home, Kagami-kun," Kuroko answered in the distance. "I'll be there in a moment. I'm in the bathroom."_

" _Ah, take your time!" The redhead breathed a sigh of relief, taking the opportunity to look for good hiding spots for the ring box. When he spotted the top of the highest shelf, he grinned mischievously. "Uh…how was your day?" He called out while he sneakily approached the shelf._

" _It was relaxing," Came Kuroko's reply, voice still coming from the distance and confirming that he was still in the washroom._

 _Kagami quickly took the opportunity to deposit the velvet box on top of the shelf; just in time, because Kuroko turned the corner into the kitchen in a matter of seconds. Kagami tensed; the sixth prodigy stared blankly._

" _Is everything alright?"_

" _Y-Yeah, everything's okay. Why?" Kagami tried to control himself from stuttering too much._

 _Kuroko blinked, wearing a stoic expression with a hint of suspicion. He was about to say something when Nigou whimpered, standing on his hind legs and pawing at the counter. The husky barked, looking up the high shelf._

 _Kagami's jaw dropped; he growled irritably. "Bad dog, sit!" He saw the husky rest his paws on the counter and look back at him, so he firmly ordered again. "Sit!"_

 _The canine obeyed reluctantly with a whimper, head turning back and forth between Kagami and the top shelf. The redhead eyed Kuroko nervously, to which the bluenet stared at the top shelf as well before he shot Kagami a flat look._

" _Ah…okay, I got caught," the former Seirin ace groaned. He reached a hand up the top shelf to open a cupboard and pulled out a small pack of salmon jerky. "I was uh…feeding these to Nigou as a treat." He sweated through the lie, but he was relieved to see Nigou hung his tongue out excitedly, playing along with him. Or was he, really? "Makoto-senpai bought me some to try, and they're good, so…"_

 _Kuroko smiled, almost gladly. "Kagami-kun, you're finally really getting along with Nigou?"_

" _He bought it! He actually bought it!" He mentally yelled in triumph to himself. "I…guess so." He rubbed the back of his neck shyly._

" _There's no need to be embarrassed about getting along with Nigou," Kuroko commented, believing that his partner was all flustered because of that._

 _Kagami mentally sighed in relief. "The stupid thing had been behaving himself, so I gave him one of these."_

 _Nigou became interested in the packet of salmon jerky. He whined at Kagami's feet, begging for a treat. Kagami sighed inwardly; he supposed if it were not for Nigou, the ring box would have been found out – even though it was the husky who brought the top shelf to attention in the first place. The damned dog must have planned this all out to score a piece of jerky, he wagered. The sneaky pup. Just to play along, he supposed, he pulled a piece of salmon jerky out and waved it in front of Nigou. The husky sniffed the treat briefly before he licked it and slowly bit down on it._

 _Kuroko's eyes widened in bewilderment – the root of Kagami's fear of dogs had been the fact that he was bitten before. But there he was, feeding Nigou with his bare hands. He felt almost touched._

" _Kagami-kun…"_

" _Hm? What? Oof!" Kagami stumbled as Kuroko ran over to crash into him with a hug._

" _I love you," the bluenet said in a breathy voice._

 _The taller man watched him curiously before wrapping his arms around Kuroko's shoulders. Nigou also circled around the couple, hugging his side to their legs as he traveled. "Sheesh." kagami pouted. His eyes traveled down to the husky who gave him a wide smile; it could not be helped – he released an airy laugh at that._

"Ah, Nigou saved your surprise, so you started warming up to him," Makoto chirped when Kagami finished his story.

"So tsundere," All three police officers commented simultaneously.

"Shut up!" Kagami comically roared before he added in a mumble, "It was mostly Makoto-senpai's salmon jerky that saved me, anyway."

Sousuke gave him a confident smile. "We should visit with the dogs during our breaks so that you can get used to them."

"Yeah! We'll help you get rid of your dog phobia." Rin showed a toothy grin.

"No thank you…sir." Kagami grimaced at the suggestion, but reminded himself to hold his speech etiquette.

"No need to be shy!" Rin gave the redhead a strong pat to his shoulder blade. "Besides, Cola and Chaco are happy to help; they like you."

Kagami raised a brow at the two dogs who sat before him. They looked up to make eye contact with him; when they saw that he did not avert his gaze, they both hung their mouths open in happy smiles. Kagami flustered – no, he did NOT think that they were charming; not at all.

"D-Do as you like…sir," Kagami muttered shyly.

"Great! It'll be good interaction training for the dogs too!" Rin placed his hands on his hips enthusiastically.

"Yeah," Sousuke let out one of his small smiles, "Even they need to know when and where to let loose; who's friend, who's foe."

The two officers then heard Aomine click his tongue. The former Toō ace turned his head to the side with a pout and furrowed brows. But he quickly flinched backwards when he saw his sharp-toothed senpai rush up to him; Rin had left the leashes in Sousuke's grip when he pulled Aomine into a headlock.

"What is with that rude reaction, hah?" He quirked his lips upwards into a smirk. "Aww, don't worry, jealous kouhai. THIS is the actual special treatment that we only give to you," he cooed teasingly as he tightened his grip, "It's called tough love!"

Aomine struggled in his grasp, only managing to comically choke out, "Save it for Sousuke-senpai!"

"Hey!" The former Samezuka captain tensed. When he saw Kagami and Makoto switch their glances between him and Sousuke, he took a nervous gulp. He ground his knuckles into the crown of Aomine's head. "Whatcha saying, huh?"

Amongst the comical, pained growls of Aomine, Makoto blinked questioningly and began to ask. "Uh…what Aomine-kun said…"

"Oh, look at the time," Sousuke interrupted in a low baritone voice, gathering the leashes around his hands to pull the dogs to his sides. "We have to go back to training."

"Heck yes, our break is done," Rin agreed rather enthusiastically as he pulled Aomine by the back of his shirt collar. "Come along, kouhai!" He tugged Aomine's collar roughly.

"Uh well, see you guys around then," Makoto raised his hand in the air to wave awkwardly.

"Yeah, bye."

"Buh-bye!"

The officers briefly turned around to wave before they marched off in a hurry, leaving the firemen to watch them in skeptical silence.

"That was…weird," Makoto tilted his head to the side in wonder.

"Right?" Kagami raised a brow. "And Sousuke-san wasn't even wearing a watch."

* * *

(1) The song: Kagami was humming "Zero", one of the openings of KnB. It was sung by Ono Kensho, the voice actor of Kuroko Tetsuya. Hence, Kagami fancies the vocals, but he doesn't exactly know why. Such a devoted husband, that Kagami. Hehe!

(2) Tsundere: For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, I found a definition according to Wikipedia: Tsundere describes a person who is initially cold towards someone before gradually warming up and opening up to them.

(3) Chaco and Cola: I was looking for some Australian dog names and found these. Since the GoM has a colour-coded theme going on, and the dogs are both brownish, I went for names accordingly; Cola because, well, the colour of cola (Sousuke's favorite drink too, I believe); Chaco because it sounds like 'chocolate' and 'tea (cha 茶)' in Japanese. Australian names because Rin lived there for a few years, right? Right!

(4) Cynophobia: Technical term for 'the fear of dogs'.


	6. Ch 5-5: Love at First Sight

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : Like I said in the summary, ah? All character careers are based off of the KnB Character Bible and Free! Eternal Summer's ED "Future Fish". If you guys don't like it, well, *shrugs* I'm sorry, eh? Hahaha!

For this chapter, I decided to give some background on the police guys. They seem popular as of late. Hehe. Thank you all for the reviews and faves. I hope to produce more chapters to your fancy.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 5.5: Love at First Sight**

It was near the end of the day for the kindergarten that Kuroko taught at. After lunch, a time slot was allotted for classroom activities before the parents came to pick up their children; that day, Kuroko decided to use that slot to teach the children about general and fire safety.

He invited Kagami and Makoto for the fire safety lecture, and the redhead suggested Aomine's team for the general safety lecture. Kagami contacted Aomine, which he along with his two senpai agreed to.

So when the day had come, the three policemen and two firemen found themselves in front of an audience of a dozen children. The men sat on chairs arranged in a half-circle, while the children sat on smaller chairs in front of them. The firemen were in their on-call uniforms while the policemen wore their regular uniform. Every child was donned in their kindergarten robes; a puffy, cotton, light-blue, button-up shirt with a white, rounded collar; black shorts and white knee socks. It was a sea of blue that gazed at the men with shimmering, wondering eyes.

Aomine had his usual furrowed brows, so when he looked around the room, he unintentionally made some of the children timid. When Sousuke noticed this, he lightly kicked his kouhai in the shin and subtly tapped his own cheek, signaling him to smile. Aomine forced himself to think of something funny, quirking his lips up into an…acceptable smile. Luckily Makoto kept the flow going through the classroom - the other men felt awkward in their seats.

"So," Makoto concluded his lecture, "do you have any questions for us nii-chan?"

A young boy raised his hand enthusiastically in the air.

"Yes?" Makoto nodded at him.

"I want to ask Kagami-nii-chan a question!"

Kagami suddenly sat up straight and fixed his gaze on the boy. "Uh…yes?"

"How do I grow as tall as Kagami-nii-chan?" The boy chirped his question excitedly.

The redhead blinked then let out an airy laugh. "You'll have to eat lots and lots of healthy food every day. Because if you eat too little…" He locked his eyes with Kuroko who sat on a stool behind his students. "…you'll end up being and staying a shorty."

Kuroko gave him a flat look before he averted his gaze with a quiet "hmph." Kagami snorted at that; he bit down on his bottom lip to make sure that he did not burst out in laughter.

"Ah, but Kagami-nii-chan eats too much," Aomine lazily hunched forward in his chair to rest his forearms on his thighs. "You'll end up chubby before you grow tall." He smirked as the children all giggled and Kagami grumbled. "If you wanna grow tall, grow tall like Aomine-nii-chan." He pointed his thumb haughtily at himself.

Another young boy raised his hand in the officer's direction. When Aomine nodded at him, he asked, "Then how did Aomine-nii-chan grow so tall?"

The tanned officer reflected on an answer for a moment then he pulled his lips into a smirk. "I play basketball during my free time," he explained, "Sports can help you grow tall, strong, and healthy." All the children gasped and marveled at him.

"What sport should I play?" The boy asked.

"Anything that you want to play as long as you have fun," Aomine answered, "Be it basketball, tennis, volleyball, baseball, swimming…" He counted with his fingers as he listed each sport, then he pointed at his two senpai. "Hey, Matsuoka-nii-chan and Yamazaki-nii-chan are swimmers too."

Rin and Sousuke jolted in their seats as the students gasped in wonder. The sharp-toothed officer grimaced at Aomine for passing the ball to him. His kouhai only showed a smug smile as he coiled in relaxation into the backrest.

"Matsuoka-nii-chan," a young girl raised her hand with a soft voice.

Rin quickly faced the front again. "Yes, my lady?" He winked at the young girl charmingly, to which she replied with an airy giggle.

"Did you compete at the Olympics?" Her eyes sparkled in anticipation.

Rin grinned with pride, puffing his chest out and placing his hands on his hips. "Yeah, I did! I'm flattered you recognized me!"

The students all let out star-struck gasps; a few more hands raised in the air. Rin nodded at each one, answering their questions like the star of an interview.

"Right now I'm training for the next summer Olympics in my spare time." He looked at Sousuke out of his periphery. "Yamazaki-nii-chan helps me practice sometimes."

Sousuke shot him a smile with a light tinge of red on his cheeks. It was then that another girl raised her hand in the air.

"Yes?" Makoto chirped in her direction.

"Are Matsuoka-nii-chan and Yamazaki-nii-chan very close to each other?" She asked innocently.

The two officers tensed; out of their peripheries, they saw Makoto and Kagami suddenly perk up to listen intently; Aomine turned his head away, puckering his lips as if he were whistling nonchalantly.

"Matsuoka-nii-chan and I have been best friends since when we were kids," Sousuke explained calmly (hoping to deter the topic), "So, yeah, we're really close."

The soft-spoken girl raised her hand again, to which Sousuke nodded to her. She proceeded to ask, "My mum and dad are like that too! Are both nii-chan close enough to get married like my mum and dad?"

Rin nearly choked on his own saliva; Sousuke only stared blankly, completely stumped for an answer. All the students giggled at the question, watching the officers in anticipation; the firemen and Aomine hunched forward in their seats, curious of what answer they would give. All the stress and pressure surrounded the two senior officers. Kids sure asked the darnedest things.

But then, Kuroko sensed the Q&A period to be off on a tangent, so he got up from his seat and clapped his hands to get the students' attentions.

"Alright, that's the end of the activity." He eyed his watch. "It's time to prepare to go home. The police-nii-chan and firefighter-nii-chan have to go back to their jobs."

The classroom echoed with disappointed groans, but on Kuroko's command, the students simultaneously thanked the guests with big smiles. Rin and Sousuke breathed a sigh of relief. Some of the children walked over to ask further questions while Kuroko helped the others change out of their classroom shoes. When the students waited in the schoolyard to be picked up, the teacher stood at the entrance in supervision. Kagami walked over to him with Makoto tagging behind.

"Good work today," the fireman commented with a grin.

"Yes, good work today," Kuroko echoed, gazing at him with smiling eyes which his husband returned. Their loving gaze was interrupted, however, when the three policemen approached them.

"Hey, hey, Kuroko-sensei!" Rin greeted with a tip of his cap. "Thanks for inviting us over - it was fun teaching these kids for a day."

"Not at all. It is I who should thank you all for coming, Makoto-san, Matsuoka-san, Yamazaki-san, and Aomine-kun," Kuroko thanked them with a tiny smile, bowing briefly.

"Super formal as ever, that Tetsu," Aomine commented with lazy sigh.

Rin let out an airy laugh, "It's all good, Kuroko-sensei. You can call me 'Rin'."

"'Sousuke' is fine for me," the teal-eyed officer added.

Kuroko gave them a subtle smile. "Then, Rin-san and Sousuke-san, thank you for coming over today."

Both men grinned at that, then Rin titled his head to the side curiously.

"It's interesting though," he wondered, "Back in the classroom, you're not really what Kagami described you to be. I mean, you had a lot of presence with the kids."

Kuroko glanced at Kagami who shrugged before he turned back to answer the officer.

"Children have a sixth sense, supposedly," he explained, "They can see things that most adults can't see." His eyes darted back and forth between Rin and Sousuke. "And detect some very curious things."

The two officers tensed at that, both laughing sheepishly as they began to sweat.

"Is that so? Haha." Rin chuckled nervously, hoping dreadfully that there were no follow-up questions.

A moment later, Aomine stood between his two senpai, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders. "What are you guys getting all shy about?" He grinned mischievously. "Both of you already know two BL couples. There's nothing to hide anym-URGH!"

Aomine hunched over after each of his senpai curved a punch into his abdomen. "Even in front of the kids, dammit?" He managed to wheeze.

"Yeah, sorry," Rin turned to give an apologetic look to Kuroko.

"That's alright," the bluenet reassured with a blank gaze, "Aomine-kun deserved it, anyway."

"Tetsu! You!"

"Eh? So there _was_ something going on between you two?" Makoto interjected in a surprised falsetto voice.

Rin irritably dragged the palm of his hand down his face – they were officially busted; Sousuke sighed through his nose.

"We wanted to keep it only between us," he explained.

"Why?" Makoto nearly whined as if he were seen as betrayed of trust.

"Rin's shy like that."

"Shut up, Sousuke!" The magenta-haired officer bared his sharp teeth in a comical frown. He gave the taller man a light kick in the knee with the point of his shoe.

"We will keep it between us if you're uncomfortable with telling others," Kuroko promised.

"Un!" Makoto nodded supportively. "In fact, I'm really happy for you both."

At that, Rin let out a smile in gratitude while Sousuke did the same.

The brunet shyly scratched his cheek with his index finger. "Actually, I'm interested in hearing your story."

Sousuke visibly perked up with a blush even though he began to explain with his calm, baritone voice. "Ah, we got together after high school then entered the police force…"

"Oh geez," Rin rolled his eyes.

 _A few years ago, Rin and Sousuke had begun their relationship. The magenta-haired man trained for the Olympics with Sousuke's mentoring. But he did not want to do just that every four-year interval – they had to have SOME kind of funding. So in the meantime, both men studied and trained for the police academy; however, Sousuke's shoulder injury hindered his advance in the program. So while their schedule was packed, the couple managed to squeeze in a slot for orthopedic physiotherapy. Luckily, with rest, less strain and improved physiotherapy exercises, his recovery soon made rapid progress._

 _The two joined the Tokyo P.D. after they passed their exams at the Academy. They had rented an apartment in Tokyo, a few train stations away from their workplace. It took very little time to get accustomed to each other since they had shared a dormitory in Samezuka high school. They had missed those days; so when they moved in together, everything just fell into place._

 _After some time, the two had advanced in their team to one of the top pairings in their division. They had choice of any field to go into, but decided to join the K-9 Unit, so they went for the exams; after attaining the required grades, they were dispatched to the training facility where they were to choose their canine partners._

 _Rin passed by every large, caged cell room where each was inhabited by a dog; Sousuke followed closely behind, glancing at every German Shepherd, Doberman, Labrador Retriever and Akita that barked at him. Rin locked his magenta eyes with every dog briefly before moving on to the next one._

" _What are you doing? Make up your mind already." Sousuke nudged his knuckles onto the nape of Rin's neck.._

" _I gotta take my time – this is gonna be my long-time companion, you know?" Rin answered with a light back kick to his partner's knee. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants. "The head trainer said that you'll know your choice when you make eye contact. It's a love-at-first-sight kind of deal."_

 _Sousuke gaped at him then smiled and bent next to his ear to whisper, "Is that how you chose me?"_

 _Rin's eyes widened; he flustered profusely when he lightly elbowed his partner in the abdomen and then whirled around to face him._

" _Watch it, dummy," He hissed as he cautiously looked around the facility._

 _Sousuke walked closer to him, backing him to the wall. He placed both hands on the wall surface, trapping Rin between his arms; the taller man watched him closely._

" _You didn't answer me," the teal-eyed officer whispered huskily._

 _Rin clicked his tongue before he playfully frowned, trying to mask his blush. Sousuke slowly advanced towards his partner's lips. But Rin tilted his head to the side to look at something behind him; Sousuke blinked questioningly then turned around – a German Shepherd sat calmly in a cage a few feet away. The dog locked his gaze with Rin's, and as if the officer was in a beckoned trance, he gently pushed past Sousuke. When he reached the caged door, he hooked his fingers onto the cross-hatched wiring. The hound watched him with dark-brown, beady eyes. When Rin did not look away, the dog hung his mouth open in a happy smile._

" _I want him." Rin latched his fingers firmly onto the cage door._

" _Oh?" Sousuke examined the German Shepherd briefly. He snickered at his partner. "Is it really like love at first sight? I really don't bel-" He caught sight of the dog in the neighbouring cage._

 _A Doberman Pinscher with pointed ears and a shiny charcoal-brown coat with orange patches sat proudly behind the door. He pointed his snout forwards, curious of the officer who watched him._

 _Sousuke stepped up to his cage, also hooking his fingers onto the wiring. "I want this one."_

* * *

" _You guys are seriously synchronized. You both chose a dog who came straight from the adoption center," The head trainer commented on the other side of the facility's counter. He handed the couple some forms to fill out. "Lucky you. I'll give you both dibs on naming them. Just write the name in the fields here."_

" _A name, huh?" Rin squatted down to be eye-level with his new canine companion. The German Shepherd whined quietly, so he gently pet his soft, brown coat. Then an idea popped into his head. "I'll name you 'Chaco'. Do you like it?" he showed a toothy grin when the canine wagged its tail excitedly as a response. "Then 'Chaco' it is!"_

 _Sousuke chuckled at that; he looked down at the Doberman who looked up at him with a dignified posture. The dog's charcoal-brown coat reminded him of the soda he had yesterday. Almost like a bat hit him across the head, he spat out a name._

" _Cola." The Doberman perked his ears up in response, so Sousuke repeated with a wider smile, "I'll name you 'Cola'."_

" _Heh? An Australian canine name too?" Rin held a smug expression._

 _The teal-eyed officer turned back to fill in the forms. "I've been influenced by you," he commented._

 _Rin only stared at him blankly before he blushed and turned away, stuttering with a pout. "What is up with saying that all of a sudden?" He mumbled._

 _After that, both officers leaned over the counter, scribbling their pens on the forms. When they were completed, the head trainer took them for filing and provided each dog with a training badge._

 _As per K-9 Unit training procedures, the officers were to take them home like their own pets; they had to train them socially outside work and technically at the training facility. Once a week, they returned to the facility with the dogs to train for 8 hours. The rest of the time, Rin and Sousuke patrolled the areas they were dispatched to; their dogs waited at home until they finished their work. They had to admit that the dogs really added some light into their lives._

 _Two years later, Chaco and Cola were officially full-fledged K-9 companions. Their learning process had completed, and they were ready for field work after passing their tests. Their new badges shined on their collars and their handlers stood beside them proudly. On a fine Spring day, the officers and their canine companions had been called into the Division Captain's office for a briefing on the day's activities._

" _PC 40202 of the K-9 Unit, sir!" Rin shouted his badge number in a saluting posture._

 _Sousuke followed. "PC 41409 of the K-9 Unit, sir!"_

 _The Captain folded his arms across his chest, keeping a straight posture even as he coiled into the backrest of his chair. His short, spiky black hair was gelled neatly with a sleek finish; his deep cobalt eyes held a sharp stare that complimented his authority._

 _Both officers proceeded to add simultaneously, "Good morning, Captain Kasamatsu!"_

 _Kasamatsu, the former Kaijou basketball team captain, nodded in acknowledgement. "Good morning, Matsuoka, Yamazaki. Everything still in good form?"_

" _Yes captain," Rin nodded, "we are all in good order."_

" _Okay. How's the shoulder, Yamazaki?" The captain turned his cobalt gaze to Sousuke._

" _Recovering very well, sir. It won't be 100% functional, but at least it's at 90% capacity, I'd say. I'm still doing orthopedic physiotherapy to keep it in tabs," the dark-brunet answered with a rotation of his shoulder._

" _Mm, glad to hear that." Kasamatsu gave a brief nod. "I've been reviewing your files and thought you both would be the most suitable candidates to mentor a kouhai."_

" _A kouhai?" the officers blinked twice._

" _Particularly this newbie," Kasamatsu motioned for the officer beside his desk to present himself._

 _The tanned officer stepped forward almost with reluctance in his voice as he saluted. "PC 53108, Aomine Daiki, reporting for duty, sir."_

 _Rin and Sousuke watched the new recruit with a raised brow. They wondered why the Captain had to mention the phrase, 'particularly this newbie'. But they soon found their answer._

" _Ugh, what a pain. How long are you guys gonna stare?" Aomine grimaced._

" _HEY!" Kasamatsu threw a thick file folder at the new recruit's head, earning a tiny grunt from him. "I swear, back when I saw you on the damn basketball court, I seriously wanted to kick your cocky kouhai ass into respectful shape! And now that I got the chance, I'd totally do it!"_

" _You're just bitter from the inter-high loss way back in the day, aren't you, Captain?!" Aomine irritably rubbed at the pain on his forehead. But he immediately tensed when Kasamatsu shot him one of his infamous glares._

" _Don't. remind. me. of. the. Inter-high," Kasamatsu snarled each word, to which the tanned officer coiled back with a quiet gulp._

 _Sousuke and Rin's brows raised further up their foreheads. They were utterly confused at the affiliation between the Captain and this rookie; but what stumped them even more was the attitude that this Aomine had. Both officers briefly glanced at one another before they pulled their lips into smirks._

" _Ah, nice to meet you, Aomine," Rin gave the new recruit a grin, baring the roots of his sharp teeth. "The name is Matsuoka Rin. You'll be in good hands."_

" _Yamazaki Sousuke," the other officer introduced himself. "We'll teach you the Tokyo P.D. way of discipline." Sousuke lowered his brows to give his eyes a look of determination._

 _Aomine furrowed his brows in confusion. A second later, Rin rushed up to him and hooked his arm up and around to put his new kouhai into a headlock. Aomine grunted in a bewildered struggle – even though Rin was shorter in height, he had enough muscle build to lock him firmly._

 _Rin stuck up his thumb with his free hand. "No worries, Captain. We'll show this guy around and teach him some tough love!"_

" _Mm." Kasamatsu nodded stoically. Though there was a hint of a smirk on his lips. "That's why I'm leaving him in both of your hands."_

" _Kasamatsu…!" Aomine choked in between struggles as he was dragged out of the Captain's office._

 _Kasamatsu shot him a flat look before he spat, "Don't forget your honorifics, you damn brat!"_

* * *

" _And this is the field.'' Rin had guided Aomine around the facility until they reached a grassy, fenced-off area. "We do the practical training here with the dogs. It gives them a feel for the outside."_

" _Oh yeah? What kinda training exactly?" Aomine lazily stuffed his hands into his pockets._

" _Jumping bars, running obstacle courses, attacking targets on command and stuff like that," Sousuke explained as he pointed to every area of the field accordingly._

" _Oh, okay." Aomine shrugged indifferently._

" _Hey!" Rin frowned at him and placed his hands on his hips in an authoritative pose. "Show some more enthusiasm!" He playfully grimaced. "Or do you think light of the K-9 Unit? Huh?"_

" _Pfft. 'Course not," The tanned officer scoffed, "If I thought light of the K-9 Unit, I wouldn't have joined."_

" _Then why the carefree attitude?" Sousuke interjected._

 _Aomine sighed, hanging his head back. "The theory and explanations part is boring. I'm more of a hands-on kinda guy."_

" _Ooooh. I see, what a determined kouhai! He wants to get on with the training," The dark-magenta-haired officer grinned. "Alrighty, we'll get you suited up first! Follow me!"_

 _The new recruit gave him a skeptical look before he cautiously followed his senpai. Moments later, he found himself outside in the middle of the field with a puffy, dark-blue protection suit on - he looked like a walking pool float. The other training officers glanced over with muffled chuckles. Aomine grumbled irritably; his face flushed when he attempted to walk, but wobbled side-to-side instead._

" _What the hell, senpai?!" He growled facing forwards while his two senpai snorted behind him. "Why do I have to suit up?!"_

" _Shut up! Everybody's going to have to do it. Even we did it." Rin pointed his thumb at himself and Sousuke._

" _Shouldn't I stand on the sidelines to watch how you train first?!"_

" _Nonsense," Sousuke waved him off and hoisted Cola's and Chaco's leashes forward. "You wanted first-hand experience, so here you go." He unhooked the leashes and grabbed on to each of the dogs' collars. "Besides, the dogs can smell your fear on the first try – it's perfect experience points for both parties."_

" _Ready?" Rin flashed his rows of shark-like teeth in a mischievous grin._

 _Aomine gulped. He immediately regretted what he had said, but he held onto his pride dearly. So he put on a poker face and inhaled a long breath._

" _I guess so," he said before he flinched and wobbled away as fast as he could._

 _Sousuke had released his grip on the dogs' collars, ordering Cola and Chaco to attack the target. The dogs growled ferociously before they barked and rushed forward. Each canine leapt over to Aomine, chomping down their sharp teeth onto his padded arms. The officer yelped while he flailed his arms comically. Their surrounding colleagues snorted and some even burst out in laughter._

 _After a while, Rin and Sousuke called off their dogs, allowing Aomine to fall face-flat onto the grass. The officers pet their companions rewardingly with various complimenting phrases. Cola and Chaco quickly changed their teeth-baring expressions into happy smiles with their tongues hung out. Their handlers hooked their leashes to their collars again and proceeded to stare at their kouhai._

" _You alive, rookie?" Rin bent down to poke Aomine's padded shoulder._

" _More-or-less," Came the kouhai's muffled groan of a reply._

 _Both senpai snickered; they each scooped an arm under his shoulders and lifted him to his feet._

" _How was the experience?" Sousuke asked calmly._

 _Aomine somewhat whimpered, "I thought I was gonna die."_

" _Awww!" Both officers jokingly cooed, each ruffling the new recruit's hair._

" _Hey," Rin gave him an encouraging smile, to which Aomine pouted in return. "You did good, kouhai."_

 _Sousuke gave him a hearty pat to the back. "We'll get you ready to get your own K-9 companion soon. It's not going to be easy, but we'll be there to guide you along the way."_

 _Aomine's eyes widened at that. His first impressions of his senpai may not have been the best, but he gained immediate respect for the both of them._

" _Got it…senpai," He looked away in embarrassment, to which Sousuke and Rin let out hearty laughs as they guided him to get out of his suit._

* * *

 _It had been a few months after Aomine had begun his training. Under his senpai's coaching, he had first-hand experience interchangeably with Cola and Chaco. The dogs grew accustomed to having him as a tertiary handler. Every now and then, he would be invited to his senpai's home for social training with the dogs. Really, they just wanted an excuse to get together as friends. All three officers eventually developed a close, brotherly relationship – albeit Aomine suffered through their roughhousing._

 _One late evening, the tanned officer had stayed behind for extra paperwork back at the division's headquarters. A few other of his colleagues were left behind as well, wallowing in their own files. When Aomine finished his work, he excused himself and made his way to the locker room to pack and change for the end of the day. It somewhat reminded him of his school basketball days._

" _Good job today!" the passing officers waved to him, which he nodded and echoed the phrase in return._

 _He put his hand on the locker room door handle while he reached his other hand into the air for a good stretch._

" _Ah…that was long for noth-" As he peeked into the locker room, he froze in place, trying to register what he saw before him._

 _Sousuke and Rin paused their intimate kiss to look at Aomine with bewildered eyes. Both officers had their shirts off, baring their toned skin; Sousuke was straddling Rin while he lay on the bench. Everyone flustered all at once._

" _Oh, Aomine!" An officer from the distance suddenly called out._

 _The former To_ _ō ace whipped his head to the side to greet him. "Yeah?" He took the opportunity to slam the locker room door shut._

" _Want to grab a bite after we grab our stuff?"_

" _Oh, y-yeah. W-we can do that. I g-gotta sort some stuff out in my…uh, locker first." Aomine nervously gripped onto the door handle._

" _You okay? Your face is super-duper red," The officer asked in worry._

" _N-nah! Totally fine! Hah! I…uh…just went for a crazy few laps around the perimeter just now!" Aomine then proceeded to raise his voice through the door. "Now I'm READY to GO. I just gotta CHANGE and PUT ON MY SHIRT once I OPEN this DOOR." He enunciated each word, hoping his senpai had caught his key words._

" _Uh…okay?" The officer raised a brow at him. "Can I go in now?"_

 _Aomine stared at him; he waited another five seconds before he slowly pushed the door open. "Yes you can…" When the door fully opened, he flinched his eyes closed briefly before he peeked one open. He let out a long sigh of relief._

 _Both of his senpai sat on opposite sides of the bench, fully-clothed in their casual outfits. Sousuke greeted them nonchalantly with a curt "Yo" while Rin finished tying his boots._

" _Hey, Yamazaki and Matsuoka are still here! You guys wanna come along for dinner?" The officer asked._

" _No thanks, we're good," Sousuke answered._

" _Too tired, and we got plans," Rin followed up with a chaste wink to his partner._

 _Aomine rubbed a hand irritably down his own face. He could not believe how the two men could still manage to flirt with one another after that. He tried to wipe his memory clean of the image while the other officer shrugged and grabbed his things in his own locker._

" _I'll meet you out front, Aomine!" The officer called out as he left the room._

" _Yeah, yeah," Aomine waved his hand dismissively while he entered the room. He tried to avoid eye contact with his senpai the whole time – an awkward silence filled the room like an uncomfortable void of sound._

" _Ahem," Rin cleared his throat, "Thanks…Aomine," he muttered with a growing blush._

" _Ah? Uh, it's cool," Aomine glanced over his shoulder. "I uh…won't tell anyone."_

" _Yeah. That'd be really appreciated," Sousuke managed to mumble shyly._

 _Aomine turned around, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. The atmosphere became far too awkward for his tastes, so he decided to joke a little. "At least I got something to blackmail senpai with, ah? Haha."_

 _The atmosphere indeed became lighter when Rin popped up from his seat and ran over to hook his arm around Aomine's neck._

" _Gah! Senpai!" The rookie comically choked while he tapped his hand on Rin's arm to signal his surrender._

" _Man, you got some nerve, kouhai. To threaten your senpai?" The magenta-haired man showed a haughty grin. "Careful, you might get bitten."_

 _The former To_ _ō ace gulped, but tried to keep his composure. "It's a joke!" He groaned._

" _No problem," Sousuke rubbed his knuckles on the crown of Aomine's head. "If you do betray us, we'll just return you the favour ten times."_

 _The grunts of pain eventually dissipated as the room erupted in laughter. It may not seem like It, but the three of them became even closer as coworkers and friends ever since that day. Gradually, Aomine learned to show his respect for his senpai like a well-trained K-9 pup; Sousuke and Rin continued to keep their secret hidden within their circle – until…_

"Until today," Sousuke concluded their story.

"Busted…!" Aomine grinned and chuckled before he flinched at Rin's readied punch. He jokingly whined, "See, Makoto-san? I'd rather have you as a senpai. These two are freaking sadistic."

Rin lightly kicked his shin. "Too bad your file is with us, doofus! Isn't that right, Makoto?"

The brunet only chuckled sheepishly.

"Even if it wasn't the case, Makoto-san wouldn't even consider taking in someone as scary as you, Aomine-kun," Kuroko followed-up with a flat expression, to which Kagami snorted loudly.

"Tetsu, you little!"

"He's the orange at the bottom of the fruit basket – no one wants him."

"Yup, no one wants him."

"Pfft! Hahahaha!"

"Shut it, Kagami!"

Amongst the playful bantering, Makoto chuckled at how lively it had gotten. These were the friends he wanted at his nuptial celebration with Haruka.

* * *

 **A/N** : Aomine referred to himself as 'Aomine-nii-chan'. Hahaha! I find that extremely amusing. Sigh…my writing train runs wild in the middle of the night.

(1) K-9 Training: According to my research, what I wrote in the story is the general training procedure. I don't know how it is exactly in Japan, so I loosely based it off the general practice. Do let me know how it really is if I got it wrong, though.

(2) Rin and Sousuke's badge numbers: Officers call out their badge number when reporting for duty in Hong Kong. I really don't know if it's the same in Japan, but meh, it sounds cool. Haha! The starting digit is 4 because we pronounce 4 in Cantonese like 'sei', which sounds like 'Sei!', as heard in the swimming cheers. The rest of the numbers are based on each character's birthday (Rin: 02/02, Sousuke: 14/09)

(3) Aomine's badge number: I also didn't pull this number out of my ass. I based the number off of Aomine's jersey number, which is 5, and his birthday 31/08.

(4) Kasamatsu's career choice: He was part of the freaking disciplinary committee at Kaijou. And I personally think he has a police chief kind of feel, so I decided on this. His addition was due to my plans of pairing him with Kise Ryouta (it seems canon enough, haha).


	7. Ch 6: The Right Time

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : Just a warning – this chapter is going to be a tear-jerker. Brace yourselves. AND READ UNTIL THE END. LOL

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Right Time**

"Hey Tetsuya?" Kagami perked up as he heard the answering click of Kuroko's cell phone.

"Hello Kagami-kun, aren't you at work?" Kuroko wondered while he put on his pastel-yellow apron with one hand.

Kuroko had finished work and had begun preparing dinner for himself at home; the redhead, on the other hand, started work not long ago – he and Makoto took the night shift that week. Kagami rested his back against a supporting pillar at the entrance of the fire station.

"I am," he answered. "I'm just on standby, so I thought I'd give you a call."

Kuroko sighed through his nose. "You should be more diligent in your work."

"I am, darn it," Kagami grumbled with a pout, "But it's downtime, and I miss you…"

The bluenet blinked; he was glad that he was on the other side of the phone, because his lips quirked into a silly smile and his cheeks tinted a red glow. But he cleared his throat, maintaining a stoic voice.

"Is that so?" He simply asked.

"Very so," Kagami retorted huskily.

A second later, the distress siren sounded in loud repetitive buzzes. The redhead groaned – it was most likely another silly call. He would be damned if it was another cat stuck up a tree, but work was work.

"Tetsuya…I gotta go," He whined.

Kuroko chuckled airily. "Un. Go on, then."

"Ok then, catch you later," Kagami hovered his thumb over the end-call button.

"Wait, Kagami-kun," Kuroko called out suddenly, fluttering his eyes closed and affectionately easing his cheek into the crevice of his phone. "…I'm going to miss you too until then."

Kagami's heart hopped a beat. He really did not want to go for the call; in fact, he just wanted to go home to his husband. With a wistful sigh, he answered in a low voice.

"I love you, Tetsuya."

"I love you too, Kagami-kun. Bye now."

With a click of the line, Kagami pocketed his phone and rushed over to the changing station.

* * *

"It's a what?!"

The redhead's heart dribbled like a basketball after he was briefed on the mission by Makoto. The brunet drove their fire truck down the streets while he repeated the mission.

"It's a real one!" He wore a look of determination. "Remember the rumble we felt? It was an earthquake. A building broke down halfway – some people are trapped under the rubble."

"S-Serious?" Kagami asked in bewilderment.

"Serious! I would not joke about these things!" Makoto yelled as he turned a sharp corner, earning a yelp from his kouhai.

Kagami grabbed onto the edges of his seat. "Senpai! Hit the brakes earlier!" Even though he wore his seatbelt, the inertia felt enough to snap the belt and fling him outside.

"No time, Taiga-kun! Fire trucks have the right of way when the siren is on!"

"Senpai, why aren't you this decisive outside work?!"

The former Seirin ace let out an elongated yell as they rapidly descended a steep hill. What felt like a roller coaster ride ended after a few minutes when they arrived at their destination. Dust and debris still floated everywhere, so the firemen attached their safety masks. Kagami tilted his head backwards to eye the building from top to bottom.

It was lop-sided; the walls cracked a little and it was indeed beyond reparation. The team had to tread lightly. As per their training, they entered the building cautiously. When the firemen looked up, they saw that the higher floors had already crumbled and fallen to the bits and pieces of rubble under their boots. The entire team, along with other F.D. teams dug at the rocks and cement shards. Luckily, they found the survivors after a few minutes; some conscious; some unconscious – but all alive with ranging severity in wounds. As they went along, they checked off names from the list of workers in the building. Kagami and Makoto carried each survivor to a stretcher outside where the paramedics waited. When all was well, everyone began packing away their equipment.

"Good work, Makoto-senpai," Kagami said in a muffled voice through his mask.

"Yes, good work, Taiga-kun!" Makoto heaved a relieved sigh through his mask.

Then, both men paused – they thought it was their imagination until they both gave each other a skeptical look. A crumbling sound came from above and both firemen looked upwards. When a loud crash echoed through the edifice, Makoto only froze in place, watching the large piece of rubble that fell towards him.

"SENPAI!" Kagami roared as he rushed forward, ramming his body into Makoto's.

With a surprised grunt, the brunet fell backwards, tripping over the uneven ground. As he landed on his back, he heard a crushing sound in front of him; without even pausing to register his slight back pain, he forced himself to sit up. Then his breath caught in his throat.

"TAIGA-KUN!"

* * *

Kuroko winced. A sudden pain in his ring finger joint made him lose grip on a ceramic cup; it fell to the floor before smashing into a burst of smithereens. Nigou barked a few times followed by some whimpers, his tail between his legs and ears flapped down.

"It's okay, Nigou, I'm alright," The bluenet reassured him, though his ring finger still twitched – he watched it with furrowed brows. He was not one to believe in bad omens, but this…

He snapped out of his thoughts when his phone rang. After calmly hushing the barking husky, he checked the caller ID which read 'Makoto-san'.

"Hello, Makoto-san?" He answered.

"Tetsuya-kun!" Came the brunet's panicked voice.

Kuroko's finger twitched again; his heart stopped when he realized it was a déjà vu of his recurring nightmare.

"…What's…wrong?" Kuroko's voice shook in anxiety. "…Makoto-san?"

"Taiga-kun…! Taiga-kun is…!"

Kuroko's breath hitched as he nearly lost grip of his phone.

* * *

The closed curtains in the emergency ward of the hospital spanned all across. Makoto stood outside one of the curtained cubicles, arms folded tightly across his chest. Haruka had rushed over after he finished work; he comfortingly caressed his partner on the arm. But Makoto's heart sank in guilt as he remembered how his slow reflexes caused…this – he looked at the drawn curtain.

In the meantime, Kuroko ran as fast as he could into the hospital. His heart pumped, and his tears congested in his eye sockets. It was not the time to cry; he needed to get to the hospital cubicle. He whimpered lightly, but loud enough to give himself presence because the people glanced over as he ran by. When he reached the emergency ward, he put a hand on the wall for support, gasping heavily for air.

"Tetsuya-kun," Haruka's eyes widened when he caught sight of him.

Kuroko gazed at the couple as he approached them in an unsteady walk. Makoto and Haruka froze – they had never seen the expression on the bluenet's face before. Kuroko's brows were arched down in worry and the white of his eyes were stained pink. His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but his voice only caught in his throat.

"Tetsuya-kun," The older couple both called out at the same time when they held their arms out to catch Kuroko.

"Kagami-kun…is there any news? Is he okay?" The bluenet managed in a shaky voice when he tightly grasped the couple's arms.

Makoto bit down on his lower lip. "They're still examining him. He was unconscious when the paramedics brought him here. But then a doctor rushed in for an emergency."

Kuroko grasped onto the fabrics of their sleeves. Composure be damned; his misdirection failed as everyone felt his anxious presence.

"Are you the patient's family?" A doctor emerged from the cubicle.

"Yes, I am!" Kuroko quickly walked forward, he held a fist against his chest to brace himself.

The doctor shook her head. "I'm sorry. We…did our best."

Kuroko's breath hitched; Makoto and Haruka froze in place.

"Please, you may go see him one last time." She pulled open the curtains and quickly left.

Kuroko slowly turned his head to follow the doctor who disappeared into the hallways. He then looked into the cubicle where a body slept motionlessly on the hospital bed, covered under a large, white, cotton sheet. The bluenet stared blankly at the bed sheet, stumbling as he walked to the bedside. His knees gave out, so he knelt on the floor in a drop.

"Kagami…kun," He whimpered as he traced his hand over the body's silhouette covered by the sheet. The tears overflowed in his eyes – he rested his head onto the body and clawed at the fabric. Not before long, he grit his teeth in small whimpers followed by louder cries…then a broken-hearted yell.

"Taiga-kun…" Makoto also began to quietly cry.

"Kagami-kun! Kagami-kun! KAGAMI-KUN!" Kuroko yelled out in between distressed gasps for air.

Makoto and Haruka rushed over to kneel beside him, each wrapping a firm arm around him. Kuroko uncontrollably burst out in tears and cries. He held onto Makoto and Haruka's arms dearly as if he were lost.

"Tetsuya-kun! Don't be like this! We'll be here for you too!" Makoto cried out as he gave Kuroko a firm, brotherly hug.

Kuroko wailed in sorrow with his arms dropped to his sides in a wilting motion. He continued weeping while Haruka silently cradled him from behind.

"Kuroko?"

The bluenet slowly looked up to the side where a figure stood. "Mido…rima-kun…?" He managed to utter in between his tears.

"Long time no see." Midorima ran his taped fingers through his dark green locks. "And that's Dr. Midorima, nanodayo." He fixed his white coat and tapped the name tag attached over his left chest pocket. "Wait…what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked with some concern.

"Kagami-kun…" Kuroko looked hopelessly at the body covered in the white sheet. "Kagami-kun is…"

"Kagami?" Midorima raised a brow then pulled open the curtains of the neighbouring cubicle. "Kagami is here, nanodayo."

All three men whipped their heads around to see Kagami, indeed alive, back resting against the elevated hospital bed. Instead of his F.D. uniform, he was wearing a white, jinbei-styled hospital robe. The redhead groaned sleepily as he shifted his arm, which was in a sling.

"Kagami-kun!"

"Taiga-kun!"

All three gasped together in surprise and relief.

"Then who is-?"

Makoto swung his head back to look at the motionless body, who Midorima pulled the sheet away from to reveal an unknown man. He quickly pulled the sheet back over the body with a silent apology to him.

"My goodness," Midorima sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, giving the brunet a look. "I told you to wait in front of the eighth cubicle from the left, not the seventh."

Makoto tensed up, tracing his eyes across the cubicles as he counted mentally – he had indeed been in front of the wrong cubicle. Haruka and Kuroko gave him a flat look, to which the fireman sheepishly raised his hands defensively in front of him.

"Haha, no wonder it was a different doctor who came," Makoto nervously said as he brushed the tears from his eyes. "What a relief…Uh! That is, it's a relief that Taiga-kun is okay." He bowed apologetically towards the deceased patient. "Please forgive me!"

Haruka sighed hoarsely and flicked the brunet's forehead. "You dummy."

"I'm sorry!" He whined. "And I'm really sorry for leading you into the scare, Tetsuya-kun." He spoke to thin air, darting his eyes everywhere before noticing that Kuroko had already gone to the neighbouring cubicle.

"Kagami-kun…" Kuroko's voice was nasal. He took hold of his husband's hand as fresh, relieved tears streamed down his face.

"Tetsuya," Kagami called out in a low voice, managing to utter an English phrase. " _Hey there, beautiful. Don't cry - I'm okay now_."

Kuroko sniffled, face contorting as he began to weep yet again. " _You idiot!_ " He cried out airily in English when he leapt forwards to latch onto the redhead, earning a pained "Oof!" from him.

But Kagami wrapped his free arm around him, caressing his back lovingly with a smile. "I'm sorry I scared you," he chuckled softly.

"You are forgiven," Came Kuroko's muffled reply as he buried his face into the cottony fabric of Kagami's hospital robe.

Kagami sighed with a tender smile, then lifted his head to eye the older couple. "Ah, Makoto-senpai, Haruka-san," he weakly motioned his head to the doctor. "That's Midorima Shintarou – he used to be one of my Vorpal Swords teammates too."

"Dr. Midorima Shintarou, an orthopedic physiotherapist, nanodayo," the doctor introduced himself.

"Oh, nice to meet you, doctor. I'm Tachibana Makoto, a colleague of Taiga-kun's. And this is Nanase Haruka, my partner," He introduced, then bowed respectfully. "Thank you for taking care of Taiga-kun."

"Not at all. It's Oha Asa that took care of him," Midorima stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh no," Kagami rolled his eyes.

"Oha…Asa?" The older couple asked simultaneously with curious eyes.

"No, no, don't ask him!" The redhead attempted to yell, but only managed to wheeze. He fell back to the headrest with a whine when Midorima began explaining.

"Today, the Leo horoscope is ranked last – some form of bodily harm would happen to our Leo friends," the bespectacled man rehearsed the horoscope diligently, "but today's lucky item, a ring, will boost your luck and keep you from serious injury."

Kagami was about to retort with a belittling joke, but refrained from doing so when he eyed his own wedding ring. Oha Asa may have sounded silly, but this time, he had to somewhat agree with its forecast.

"You should download the Oha-Asa App.!" Midorima pointed a stern finger at Kagami who shot him a feeble scowl. "Oha Asa saved your buttocks today, nanodayo!"

"I can't believe that you're a doctor who wallows in scientific fact, yet you believe in this stuff," Kagami grumbled.

"Do not underestimate the power of luck, Kagami!" The doctor tapped the rim of his glasses proudly. "Surgeons, for instance, do their best in precision when doing biopsies and whatnot. But if the patient has bad luck and he neglects to deal with it, _fweeeeeeeee_ …dayo!" He pinched his forefingers and thumbs together, pulling them away from each other like he was stretching an invisible string. "The patient will flat-line regardless. So hard work and skill are crucial, but luck is the pillar that holds all, nanodayo!"

Makoto and Haruka stared blankly. The doctor certainly had an odd way of speech. When no one responded to his Oha-Asa preaching, Midorima returned to casual conversation.

"So Kagami says you both got married, huh?" He smirked suddenly when he caught sight of the younger couple's matching rings. "Aquarius and Leo always had one of the best compatibilities, nanodayo."

Kuroko ignored the doctor's comment as he asked in his usual calm voice. "Midorima-kun, will Kagami-kun be alright to go home?"

"He'll need to stay over for surveillance. It's a shoulder contusion from blunt force trauma, nanodayo," he answered. "Albeit his strong physique and the injury being minor-to-medium, we have to make sure he's functional. The rubble piece dislocated his shoulder too. But I popped it back in when he was unconscious. He might need some physiotherapy sessions."

"I see. Thank you, Midorima-kun," the bluenet gave him a smile of gratitude while he sniffled one last time.

The doctor returned a dignified smile. "You're welcome, Kuroko."

"Ah…what a nuisance," Kagami groaned.

"You need to rest until you're fully-healed, Taiga-kun." Makoto wagged a reprimanding finger at him. "That's an order from your senpai."

Haruka walked forward to place a reassuring hand on Kuroko's shoulder. "We can both stay over at your place to accompany Tetsuya-kun in the meantime if you'd like."

"I'll be fine," Kuroko let out an airy sigh. "I want to take care of Kagami-kun here, anyway."

"Yeah, that'd be nice, Haruka-san. If it's not too much trouble," Kagami nodded at the sous-chef. "And you have to go home to sleep, Tetsuya. If we both fall sick, it won't do us or Nigou any good." He reached a hand up to lightly tussle the bluenet's hair.

"I'll care for Kagami-kun every now and then," Haruka volunteered. "I'll make him some nutritious meals after work."

The redhead perked up at that, sighing wistfully. "Ah, I haven't had Haruka-san's food in a long time!" He sneered playfully at his husband. "Yeah, go home, Tetsuya. I'll be totally fine without you."

Kuroko gave him a flat look before he got up to walk out of the cubicle with a low "hmph".

"Ah! Tetsuya-ow!" Kagami held his shoulder as a shock of pain jolted into it from his sudden movement. "Come back! It was a joke, I was kidding!" He clawed at the air in the direction the bluenet walked off to.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Kuroko called out in a completely stoic voice.

Makoto and Haruka only laughed airily and smiled at the two. They almost jumped backwards, however, when Midorima zipped into their view.

"Now then, tell me your star signs," the doctor demanded them with a glint in his eyes. "I'll show you the power of Oha Asa."

The former Iwatobi Club swimmers immediately regretted ever asking what Oha Asa was.

* * *

The next day's late afternoon, Kuroko and Haruka came to visit Kagami in the physiotherapy ward. Each room was spacious with six curtained cubicles; three on each side of the room. Kagami's was in the far right corner where he had a view of the scenery outside.

Haruka brought two towered lunch containers with him, each with five stainless steel boxes stacked on top of one another. He made various nutritious dishes, as promised, which he packed the boxes to the brim with. The sous-chef was skeptical of the amount he cooked, but he listened to Kuroko's advice to make more. And he was glad that he did.

Kagami already emptied one tower of boxes in a matter of thirty minutes, even though he had function in one arm only for the time being. He only began to slow down his eating pace when he reached the second to last one.

"Thank you, Haruka-san. They're delicious," he uttered between bites. His voice had returned to a healthy booming volume.

"You're welcome," Haruka replied flatly, though he stared blankly in wonder. "I'm just glad that I made enough." He did not remember how much Kagami ate last time he came over for dinner. Then again, he always absentmindedly made a lot when guests came over. Now that he had cooked only for Kagami, it delivered a shock to the sous-chef.

"Un!" The redhead responded enthusiastically while he chewed; His husband took the opportunity to affectionately wipe the corners of his lips with a tissue.

"So careless," Kuroko commented bluntly.

"I'm not one of your students, gee," Kagami grumbled with an embarrassed blush erupting across his face.

"Uwah-ha! So lovey-dovey!" A teasing voice came from the entrance of the cubicle.

All three men lifted their heads to meet a pair of deep-amber, hawk-like eyes.

"Takao-kun?" Kuroko addressed the man.

"Hey, hey, Kuroko! Long time no see!" Takao waved while he grabbed a stool to sit next to the foot of the bed. "Kagami," he nodded to the redhead with a grin. Then he turned to Haruka. "Nice to meet ya! I'm Takao Kazunari, former Vorpal Swords basketball teammate of these two, and presently a paramedic!" He pulled at his short-sleeved, white dress shirt where a paramedic I.D. badge attached to the chest pocket. His light-gray dress pants creased as he pulled the stool closer.

"Nanase Haruka…" Haruka introduced himself, but his voice lined with curiosity. "You," he stared at Takao intently. "Your voice sounds like…"

"Huh? Sounds like what?" Takao rocked side-to-side in his seat.

"…like a very rude version of my partner."

"Pft what?" Takao scoffed and pouted playfully. "Well, excuuuuse me."

Kagami snorted. "I prefer Makoto-senpai's voice over Takao's annoying, nasal voice, though."

"Lay off, Kagami," The paramedic stuck his tongue out at the redhead. Then his lips tilted into a smirk. "Anyway, so you and Kuroko got married? Like whaaat." He waved his hand at Kuroko to get the bluenet's attention. "He was talking all about it in his semi-conscious rambles yesterday in the ambulance."

"Wai-I did what?!" The former Seirin ace dropped his chopsticks on the bed tray.

"Wanna know what he said?" Takao snickered.

"No we don-!"

Kuroko closed the palm of his hand over Kagami's mouth. "Yes, please do tell me." His eyes shimmered in curiosity.

"You're gonna love this, Kuroko. This guy is so head-over-heels for you, it's ridiculously cute!" Takao then burst out in teasing laughter when Kagami attempted to kick him but missed. "Come on! It's so worth sharing! So like, yesterday…"

 _After the rubble piece fell onto Kagami, Makoto and other firemen hurried to lift it off of the redhead's backside. He was unconscious. They carefully, but quickly carried him outside the tilted building. The brunet called out to the nearest paramedic who rushed over to examine him. Takao brought over a stretcher, ordering them to place him on top._

" _What happened?" Takao asked calmly but sternly._

" _A large piece of rubble fell onto him! His shoulder, here!" Makoto pointed to Kagami's injured shoulder._

 _Takao first removed the safety mask around the redhead's face. "Huh? Kagami?!" His eyes widened. But he shook himself from the bewilderment – greetings could come later; right then, he needed to assess a patient. He zipped down Kagami's jacket then slipped his hand over the redhead's shoulder. His fingers pressed lightly on the muscles and joints._

" _I don't feel any broken bones," Takao muttered. His keen eyesight then caught the corner of the bruise on Kagami's shoulder. He gently tilted him and removed more of the shirt, revealing a giant bruise that went all across the redhead's side. "I say it's blunt force trauma resulting in a large contusion; swelling under the skin caused shock, so the patient is unconscious. It could be serious – I'm assessing this as 'critical'. Get him on the ambulance, stat!" He yelled out to the other paramedics._

 _Takao and his colleagues rolled the stretcher onto the ambulance, Makoto following behind in a jog._

" _I'm a friend and coworker, I'd like to stay with him, please!" Makoto begged him._

" _Alright, get on," Takao moved aside to allow the brunet onboard the ambulance._

 _When the ambulance starting moving, Takao gently pried open Kagami's eyelid and flashed a light into his pupil. Makoto gripped onto the side of the stretcher._

" _Is he going to be okay?" the fireman asked worriedly._

" _He seems barely okay. I won't know for sure until I bring him to the hospital. Looks like he'll need a physio. I'll see if I can page Shin-chan," Takao absentmindedly explained. "Kagami, hey! Answer me if you can hear me! It's Takao Kazunari! Remember me?" He lightly tapped the redhead's cheeks._

" _Ma…ko…to…sen…pai?" Kagami managed to answer weakly when he opened his eyes to narrow slits._

 _The paramedic was relieved to get a response as he continued to egg him on with follow-up questions. "It's Takao. Ta-ka-o. Not Makoto. Where the heck did you get 'Makoto' from?"_

" _I'm here, Taiga-kun," Makoto spoke in a soft yet reassuring voice as he leaned forward. "Makoto-senpai is here. How are you feeling?"_

" _Is…shoul…der…back….hurts," Kagami muttered with a small wince. "Hear…ing…double…sen…pai…voice." He was convinced that he was losing his mind when he heard Makoto and Takao's similar voices on both sides of the stretcher._

" _Ah, so you're 'Makoto'," Takao nodded to the brunet in a signal for him to continue talking to Kagami. It was best to keep the patient conscious and occupied with something other than pain._

" _Yes. It's going to be okay, Taiga-kun. Takao-san is here to help you. We're bringing you to the hospital." The fireman gently took hold of the redhead's hand. "Don't sleep okay? Think of Tetsuya-kun."_

 _Kagami's pupils shook. "Te…tsu…ya." He tightened his grip on Makoto's hand. "Call…tell…I'm…" His eyes began to flutter close._

" _Okay, I'll call him! Don't worry, Taiga-kun, just don't sleep!" The brunet yelled out in a panicked voice._

" _Woah, woah, woah!" Takao suddenly snorted. "Did you say 'Tetsuya'? Like Kuroko 'Tetsuya'? The misdirection guy who was on our Vorpal Swords team? What's the deal with telling him about this?"_

" _We got…married," Kagami shakily lifted his hand to show his ring._

" _Pfft! Really? Pfft!" Takao burst out laughing while Makoto stared at him with bewildered eyes. "I can't believe it! I was gambling with Shin-chan whether or not you both had a thing going on." He sighed then wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Guess I owe Shin-chan something tonight."_

" _What…the hell…Ta…ka…o!" Kagami grasped the air in disorient with his uninjured hand in Takao's direction._

" _Haha, I'm just kidding!" Takao fanned his hand dismissively. "That's the liveliness you should keep! But dude, calm down just a tad! What would Kuroko say if he saw you get hurt like this?"_

 _Kagami dropped his arm with a feeble groan. "Tetsu…ya…will be so…worried. Can't die yet. Need to stay…by him. Once…in…a lifetime…partner. No one else…Tetsuya."_

" _Woah, those are some cheesy lines!" Takao snickered._

" _Shut…up!"_

 _The paramedic let out one last snorting laugh before he changed to a serious tone. "Hey, Kuroko will be waiting for ya, so you gotta make it, okay?"_

" _That's right, don't give up no matter what, Taiga-kun!" Makoto interjected._

 _Kagami's pupils darted from side to side. "S-Stereo…Makoto-senpai's voice…on two sides…weird…" His eyes rolled upwards and his eyelids crashed down before his whole body relaxed._

" _TAIGA-KUN!" Makoto jolted, he then grabbed his kouhai by the collar of his shirt and shook him. "Don't sleep! Don't-!"_

 _Takao brusquely pushed the brunet's arms away. "Sorry! Lemme at him." He checked the redhead's pulse and vitals before he breathed a sigh of relief. "It's all good. He's just unconscious. But we'll rush him up to emergency when we arrive."_

" _Will he be alright, you think?" Makoto asked in a panicky voice._

 _Takao shrugged with a sigh through his nose. "At this point, I hope so."_

"I'm totally fine to kick your ass now, Takao!" Kagami interrupted the paramedic's story with a kick of his foot into the air.

"Woah!" Takao snorted when he pressed the redhead's foot back down. "Don't overexert yourself, or someone's gonna get hurt." He smirked. "And I mean a broken-heart type of hurt." He winked at Kuroko.

The bluenet proceeded to give Kagami a flat look. "You got that right."

"Wh-what?!" The redhead guiltily coiled into the backrest. "Fine," The redhead grumbled, "I'll be careful. And when I get back to work, I'll do my best to take care."

Haruka lowered his eyes to the floor, clearing his throat. "Thank you, Taiga-kun," he muttered, to which everyone turned to gape at him.

"Huh? For what?" Kagami asked confusedly.

"For saving Makoto." The sous-chef turned to give him a smile of gratitude. "He told me that you pushed him out of the way just in time. If it weren't for you, it'd be him on the hospital bed. Or worse." An unpleasant image flashed into his mind as he reflected – he was grateful for his partner's safety. "…so, thank you," He gave a small bow to the redhead.

Kagami blinked, he then sighed and showed a wide grin. "No problem, Haruka-san! I'm indebted to Makoto-senpai for a lot of things, really. We're like brothers."

Kuroko kept an observant gaze on Haruka for a bit before he noticed something. "Don't blame yourselves, Haruka-san," he added stoically, to which the other man stared back with surprised eyes. "It was an accident. And Kagami-kun rushes forward into danger like a blind bull-fly. That's all."

"Hey!" The former Seirin ace grumbled.

The sous-chef's shoulders relaxed. He was about to thank them again, but Midorima peeked into the cubicle with a passionate glint in his eyes.

"It was a lucky accident, I say," he commented.

"Uwoh! Shin-chan!" Takao chirped before he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Ugh…here we go again!"

"That's 'Dr. Midorima' when at the hospital, Takao," the bespectacled man reprimanded the paramedic. "Anyway, Kagami got out alive because he had his lucky item, nanodayo. Speaking of which," he held out a palm-sized, blue dolphin ornament, "Today's lucky item for Cancers is this."

All four men gaped at him with flat expressions, which the doctor seemed to have ignored. Midorima swiftly stepped up to Kagami in a heartbeat.

"Where's your lucky item for today?!"

"I don't believe in that crap!" Kagami roared back comically.

"Shin-chan, give up teaching Oha Asa to other people," Takao snickered, "Only you are crazy enough to diligently bring lucky items with you every day," He put on a smug grin before adding, "nanodayo!"

"Stop imitating me, nanodayo!"

"Pffft! 'Nanodayo'!" The paramedic burst out in chortles, flinching every time the physiotherapist tried to hit him with the clipboard in his hand.

"Midorima-kun, how is Kagami-kun today?" Kuroko inquired, interrupting their bicker.

Midorima held up the clipboard with Kagami's chart attached to it. He flipped over the first page to the notes. "He's progressing well for the second day; the swelling went down just a bit, and he has limited movement in the left arm joint where the bruise stretches to," he explained, "After he rests here for a few more days until the swelling goes down, he can go home. But no work just yet, nanodayo." He heard Kagami grumble in disappointment, but ignored him and continued explaining. "He needs to come here every day for at least one hour for physiotherapy sessions with me, nanodayo. I'll write a doctor's note."

"Ugh, what a pain," Kagami grimaced.

"Do you want to go back to work soon?!" Takao lowered his voice to imitate Midorima's tone. "Do you wanna play basketball again?!" He pointed a stern finger at Kagami. "Then deal with it and come to Dr. Shin-chan's physiotherapy sessions, nanodayo! Pfft!" He bent over in mirth while raising an arm to block Midorima's thrashing clipboard. Tears began streaming out from the corners of his eyes as he burst out in uncontrollable cackles. "And-and bring your lucky items, nanodayo!"

"TAKAO!" Midorima growled in an authoritative voice.

Kagami snickered with his head turned away; even the two other stoic men let out a snort under their breaths.

* * *

After Haruka left the hospital, the sun had already set halfway below the horizon. Makoto ended the day shift and made his way to the hospital for his turn of the visit. He rode the elevator to the physiotherapy ward, stepping into the quiet sunset-lit corridors. When he found Kagami's room, he silently walked to his cubicle. Just when he was about to pull open the curtains, he stopped as he overheard the younger couple's conversation.

Kuroko lay his head onto Kagami's thigh as he leaned over the bedside from his seat. The redhead reached his hand out to caress his soft, powder-blue locks.

"Do you believe in ghosts, Kagami-kun?" The sixth prodigy asked.

"After meeting you, yes," the redhead teased. "But uh…seriously, I'm not sure if they really do exist, but movie and book depictions of them freak me out. If I do see one, I'd probably be too scared to move."

Kuroko blinked. "Alright, then do you believe in the afterlife?"

"Mm? Uh, kinda? I don't know. We don't know these things until we die," Kagami replied with a pensive frown. "What's with these questions all of a sudden?"

Kuroko quietly reflected on an answer for a moment. "Just making conversation," he decided to answer. But his husband scowled at him skeptically, so he sighed obscurely. "I was thinking if Kagami-kun became a ghost, I would not be afraid of you no matter what spirit form you came back in. And if there was an afterlife," He fluttered his eyes closed, snuggling closer to Kagami's gentle caress. "I would wait for you to become my husband again."

Kagami flustered; his dribbling heart felt as if it was about to bounce out of his body. When he snapped out of his trance, he stuttered nervously upon catching Kuroko's lingering gaze. "I-I would wait for you, too!" He said with confidence. "And well, they say 'til death do us part'…" he trailed off, "…but I'd go looking for you again even after that."

Kuroko gave him a blank stare before he buried his head into the ruffled blankets. His chest felt light and airy; his pinked cheeks pulled his smile ever wider, but he did not want to reveal it to the redhead – it was just as embarrassing as what his husband had just said. Kagami chortled and ran his hand roughly through Kuroko's hair.

"Say, Tetsuya," Kagami began, "Since the kindergarten term is going to end soon, and I'm going to be taking a little time off even after I heal…" He smiled at him. "How about we go on vacation, you and me? We haven't been on vacation together for a long time." He suggested with a little bit of excitement lined in his voice. He then continued with a growing blush, "I want to make the most of this life with you."

The sixth prodigy shifted his head to the side to meet the redhead's gaze. Just like his answer to the proposal, he replied with somewhat tearful eyes.

"Yes."

Kuroko got up from his seat to sit on the side of the bed and lean towards Kagami for a loving kiss. The taller man wrapped his uninjured arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. When they broke away from the kiss, Kagami brushed his lips on Kuroko's forehead.

"Ah, don't cry, Tetsuya."

"I'm not crying."

"Your eyes are watery."

"They're watery, but not overflowing, hence I am not crying. Please do not let your imagination run wild."

"Why you little-!"

"Please don't raise your voice, Kagami-kun. This is a hospital."

As they continued their whispering bicker, Makoto sighed through his nose with a smile. The younger couple's conversation really made him reflect on everything with Haru. Had Kagami not pushed him from harm's way, he may not have retained his future chance to propose to Haru.

The right time – as they all say – you will know when the right time is.

"Good evening, Tetsuya-kun and Taiga-kun," Makoto lifted the curtains open to enter the cubicle.

"Good evening, Makoto-san," Kuroko returned the greeting while Kagami nodded, briefly uttering 'yo, senpai' to greet the brunet.

Makoto fiddled with his fingers shyly. Almost impulsively, he spat out a request to the younger couple.

"Um, I'm really sorry, but I overheard your conversation," he explained. "About the vacation you both wanted to go on…"

Kagami and Kuroko listened closely to his request; their eyes widened and then their lips pulled into open smiles.

* * *

 **A/N** : I would just like to say thanks to a guest who reviewed ch. 5.5. I'm very glad you like it so far. I will gather the two groups into meeting at one point; it will actually last across a couple of chapters. So I hope I will write them to your fancy. =)

(1) Jinbei-styled hospital robe: It's a yukata-like robe that stops at the hips. Patients wear matching pajama pants with them.

(2) Nanodayo: And I quote Kuroko no Basuke Wiki: "Midorima occasionally ends his phrases with "Nanodayo", a combination of three Japanese sentence-ending particles which adds a tone of "an explanation about something that doesn't really need explaining" to his words."

(3) Orthopedic Physiotherapist: I think it's only fitting that Midorima specializes in orthopedics. He wants to help people recover from sprains and other sports injuries! ...While promoting Oha Asa.

(4) Paramedic: Takao was on the health committee at Shutoku, so I either wanted to make him a doctor or a paramedic. He seems more fun as a paramedic. He is paired with Midorima because they're pretty canon to me. Hehe.

(5) Takao's assessment: I researched severe shoulder contusions briefly and got some medical terms. Plus, CSI helped a little. Haha!

(6) Familiar voice: Takao and Makoto share the same voice actor (Tatsuhisa Suzuki). Both characters, however, are totally different in personality and tone. That's why Kagami felt confused when he was hearing 'stereo Makoto-senpai'.


	8. Ch 6-5: Moments of Appreciation

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : This chapter is really just a bonus that bridges stuff together. It gives some background on Midorima x Takao and Sousuke x Rin.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, and/or finished Free! Eternal Summer, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 6.5: Moments of Appreciation**

Kuroko woke up in his bed. His vision was clouded with drowsiness when he tried to focus on the digital clock resting on the nightstand. It was Saturday mid-morning – he was glad to have the chance to sleep in. He rolled over on his side to reach out an arm which only fell onto the sheets. Immediately, his eyes shot open. Right…Kagami was still staying at the hospital. He buried his cheek into his pillow as the loneliness kicked in. How he missed waking up with the redhead next to him.

With a sigh, he got out of bed to put on his ring and slippers, making his way out of the bedroom. It was most likely going to be another lonesome day, he thought with a turn of the doorknob. The hallways echoed his empty steps. Even though the morning light shone through the windows at the end, the shadows made everything feel quiet and empty. He passed by the kitchen then the living room, peeking inside before continuing forwards…but then he took a step back for a double-take.

Makoto and Haruka sat on the futon, engaged in a passionate kiss. A thin blanket wrapped loosely around their waists. The brunet leaned over, wildly cupping his lips over and over onto his partner's softer ones. Haruka circled his arms around Makoto's shoulders for support as he breathlessly moaned.

Kuroko averted his gaze in embarrassment, wearing a flat look when he did. Right…Makoto and Haruka stayed over to accompany him as promised. Seeing them in his home certainly made the place feel less empty. But this was pushing it just a little (thank goodness the older couple were still clothed). Kuroko cleared his throat in a failed attempt to get their attention; so he tried harder.

"Good morning, Haruka-san, Makoto-san," he called out, but was still ignored. In times like these, he was ungrateful for his low presence.

The bluenet decided to make his way to the bathroom. There was just no point in trying further. And he quietly prayed to himself that the older couple would not (and did not) defile his futon.

"Haru…" Makoto pulled away after some time to chuckle lovingly. "What's gotten into you? You're more needy than usual these days. Ah! Not that I don't like it. I love it, in fact."

"I could say the same to you," Haruka planted a chaste kiss on his nose. "And that vacation to Iwatobi…just what are you up to?"

Makoto refrained from stuttering with all his might. He inhaled a large breath of air. "I want a vacation with you; just spend some peaceful time to enjoy life." He then decided to steal his kouhai's phrase. "I want to make the most of this life with you, Haru."

Haruka gaped at him, but not before long, he secured his arms around Makoto's chest and blushed profusely.

The brunet chortled quietly. "Taiga-kun has some of the most amazing pick-up lines…" he marvelled to himself as he affectionately rubbed his cheek against Haruka's face. "Tetsuya-kun and Taiga-kun are coming along too. So it's going to be fun!" He chirped.

"Yeah. We can show them around by then."

"And you know what's fun about going on a trip with another couple?" Makoto's eyes gleamed hungrily. "We each get our private time."

At that suggestion, Haruka raised a brow before letting out an airy laugh. At that, Makoto dove in to continue the kiss, but slowed as he felt an odd presence to his side.

"Nigou, bark."

"Arf!"

Makoto squeaked, tumbling onto the backrest of the futon while Haruka turned to find Kuroko standing next to Nigou.

"My apologies," Kuroko bowed curtly. "I couldn't get your attention earlier, so I went to fetch something that could." He eyed the husky who was fervently wagging his tail.

The brunet stuttered. "Te-Tetsuya-kun, you saw us-? I'm sorry! We tried to be quiet! We couldn't help it!" He blushed.

Haruka turned away with a flustered face. "More like _you_ couldn't help it."

"We both couldn't help it!" Makoto nervously tried to correct him, then attempted to change the subject. "Ah, but anyway, good morning, Tetsuya-kun! Did you get some nice sleep?"

Kuroko only stared at the older couple almost as if he were in a daze. Makoto and Haruka awkwardly waited for a reply. But not before long, the bluenet's eyes suddenly watered, followed by gushing streams of tears that poured out relentlessly.

"Tetsuya-kun?! What's wrong?!" Makoto panicked, getting up from the futon and comically flailing his arms in the air while Haruka stared with bewildered eyes.

"I don't know," Kuroko replied emotionlessly with a stoic expression, yet the tears kept rushing down his face. "I just suddenly feel a bit lonesome."

Haruka got up from the futon to wipe Kuroko's tears with his thumbs, all the while staring deeply into the bluenet's eyes.

"The Panari Island waters are coming to life."

Kuroko tensed at that phrase. He immediately stopped crying after sniffling loudly as if he forcefully turned off the faucets of his eyes.

"Haru, not now!"

* * *

Kuroko sat himself on the futon, sandwiched between the brotherly comfort of Haruka and Makoto. The brunet reminded him that Kagami's discharge would be soon, and wore his usual serene smile. Kuroko supposed that having them over for company was not so bad after all.

Makoto scanned the living room, half-listening to the other two's conversation. Then his eyes met the photo frames on the nearby shelf. One of the photos was of the Seirin team when they won the Winter Cup.

"It must have been really something when you won with Taiga-kun and the others, huh?" The fireman smiled.

Kuroko took the time to absorb all the details of the photograph; Kagami was standing next to him - they had the widest grins.

"Yes," Kuroko answered. "I don't know if it was the ecstasy of victory, but I remember clearly the way we looked at each other after the photograph was taken." He reminisced a little, then tilted his head to the side in thought. "Kagami-kun must have fallen in love with me at that moment."

The older couple shot him a look of disbelief. "How cheeky," they simultaneously thought.

"Hmm…" Makoto turned to scan the photos again. "Did you guys take any wedding-like pictures?"

"No, we didn't. We thought it was unnecessary. Should we?" Kuroko asked innocently.

"Uh, well, you don't have to," Makoto chuckled. "I just thought you both might have taken some pictures in private after Taiga-kun proposed. Er…did you and Taiga-kun even go on a honeymoon of sorts?"

Kuroko blinked. "No," he answered straightforwardly. "We hadn't gotten the chance to go anywhere out of Tokyo."

"Really?" The brunet's voice rose an octave higher. "So the Iwatobi trip that we're all going on together will be your first trip in a while?"

"First trip since moving in with Kagami-kun," the bluenet clarified. He saw the older couple give him sympathetic looks, so he decided to add, "It will be like a redeemed honeymoon vacation. Besides, I find that it's even better with Makoto-san and Haruka-san coming along."

The older couple's faces lit up at that; Makoto let out a motherly coo as he sat next to Kuroko and gave him a firm hug; Haruka stoically joined in.

"May I ask why you both insist on treating me like a child?" Kuroko obscurely pouted.

His low presence must have kicked in, because Makoto and Haruka did not answer. They just kept a firm embrace, sandwiching him with brotherly warmth and chuckles.

* * *

It had been a week since Kagami's accident; the fireman was healing progressively fast – the bruise had already faded to a light purple. His arm still hung languidly in a sling as he walked through the hospital gardens. Makoto and Haruka accompanied him upon their visit.

"So, when did Dr. Midorima say you can get discharged?" Haruka asked as they reached the garden atrium.

"Tomorrow," Kagami replied with a pleased grin.

"That's great!" Makoto beamed, he then wagged his finger at his kouhai. "But don't forget to come back for your regular physiotherapy sessions until you're 100% better."

"Okay…" he replied hoarsely.

Haruka gave him a curt smile. "Tetsuya-kun really misses you."

Kagami sighed wistfully. "I know."

Haruka stared into the distance blankly for a moment before he suddenly remembered to ask, "Did Dr. Midorima say if you'd be okay to fly with us to Iwatobi next weekend?"

Kagami briefly looked over to his senpai who wore a bubbly smile, then proceeded to reply, "Yeah, he said I'm good to go. He'll give me some physio exercises to bring with me."

"Alright," Haruka nodded in acknowledgement before he added, "I know it's going to be a little tough looking into those Panari-water-blue eyes every day, but hold off on the physical intimacy with Tetsuya-kun until you're all better."

"What the hell, Haruka-san?!" Kagami comically roared with a flustered face.

Haruka only kept his eyes forward as Makoto reprimanded him in embarrassment and Kagami continued his incoherently flustered rambles. The sous-chef suddenly gaped into the distance blankly. He had to make a double-take before he recognized the dark-blue-haired man in a white lab coat who stood a few meters away.

"Rei?"

"Huh?" Makoto turned his head forward, then his face beamed. "Rei! Is that you?"

The man turned to them, fixing his red-rimmed glasses before he gasped with a bright smile. "Makoto-senpai! Haruka-senpai! It's been such a long time!" He sped-walked to them. "You both came to Tokyo too?"

"Yes! We both found work here in the city," Makoto chuckled. "And, no need to call us 'senpai'. We've graduated ages ago."

"I have to disagree. My senpai will always be my senpai," Rei commented with a confident smile.

The brunet let out an airy chortle. "You haven't changed much, Rei." he then took notice of his white lab coat. "Are you a doctor now?"

"Oh, no actually," Rei waved his hand side-to-side before placing his hands proudly on his hips. "I'm a clinical biochemist! Ahh-ha-ha-ha!"

Kagami coiled backwards a little at Rei's haughty laughter.

"Impressive," Haruka briefly commented with a curt smile.

"Thank you," he replied with a bright grin.

Makoto then jolted a little in realization that he had neglected his kouhai. He lightly pat Kagami's back. "Right, Rei, this is my kouhai, Kagami Taiga. We're both with the Tokyo Fire Department."

"Oh, I know Kagami-san already. Dr. Midorima asked me to take his blood samples. And wow, so you're both with the fire department..." The bespectacled man trailed off before perking up. "Ah, speaking of which," He turned his attention to Kagami, "I got my assistant to run your blood sample through a lab test, Kagami-san. I'll bring the results tomorrow when you get discharged. I took a peek at them – all of your parameters seem all well and in order."

"Why did you take a blood test?" Makoto's eyes widened at his kouhai.

"Tetsuya made me," he grimaced in response. "He said it's to keep my health in check." As his grimace switched to a pout, Makoto chuckled while Haruka smiled.

"How is Nagisa?" Haruka asked curiously. After they graduated from Iwatobi, the couple received news that Rei and Nagisa had finally hit it off, despite their parents' disapproval. Now that Rei had moved to Tokyo, Haruka was hoping to hear that they were still together. And he sighed in relief at the answer.

"Ah, Nagisa-kun is doing well," the clinical biochemist had a shy smile, pink colouring his cheeks. "He comes back to the apartment now and then." A wistful sigh escaped him. "It's like a long distance relationship with a nomad."

Makoto blinked with a questioning tilt of his head to the side. "How so?"

Rei gave him a half-depressed, half-proud look. "Nagisa is a co-pilot for Kiropengin Airlines."

"Really?!" Makoto chuckled in awe.

"Really, really," Rei replied with a slump of his shoulders.

"Isn't that something to be proud about?" Haruka pondered out loud.

The clinical biochemist sighed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. "Yes, but we only see each other almost once every blue moon. I'm busy, and he's flying all over the place – it's a good thing since we're both too occupied to think about it. But when it hits me, it seriously hits me." As if it was following his explanation, his pager suddenly beeped and he pulled it out to stare at the screen with a sigh. "See what I mean?" He whined and waved the pager in front of him, to which the three other men chuckled.

"Do your best, Rei. You and Nagisa are still together, so something must be working," Haruka commented.

Rei beamed a confident smile. "Yes! I believe so 100% too!" He stuffed the pager back into his pocket and waved his hand in the air. "It was nice seeing you both. Let's go for dinner or coffee one day! Bye!"

As the bespectacled man left in a hurry, the three were left waving at him.

After a little more time, the older couple brought Kagami back up to his room and bid him farewell for the day. Resting in the hospital was extremely boring. Kagami could no longer stay tied to the bed – he was well enough to walk around, so he patrolled the hallways just to kill time; just one more day until he would get discharged – one more day until he can sleep in his bed again with Kuroko beside him.

Along the way, Kagami spotted the door to an on-call room for doctors. He scowled curiously at it and wondered if it served a particular purpose like in those romance hospital dramas he used to flip through. Just when he finished that thought, the door pulled open and Takao came out with a breathy sigh.

"Ah, yo, Takao!" The redhead greeted.

"Shhhhhh!" The paramedic held a finger up to his lips with his shoulders hunched up. "Not so loud! Shin-chan's sleeping in there!" He whispered while pointing to the on-call room door.

Kagami eyed the door before he scowled deeper. "I can't believe you guys do it at work! What if someone discovers you both?"

Takao blinked confused, then pulled his lips into a goofy smile. "Pfft!" He tried to hold in his laughter as much as possible. "What a perverted thought! What, you think we're in one of those romance dramas? Pfft!" When Kagami stuttered irritably, he took the opportunity to explain. "Shin-chan's seriously exhausted. We're often on-call, like, 24/7, you know?" He pointed his thumb at the door again. "These rooms serve what they're supposed to serve: providing sleeping space for doctors. They crash down completely in there and wake up like mindless zombies when they're paged." He raised a brow. "We don't have any time for _that_ kind of stuff here. Heck, we barely have time to kiss, even." His lips then pulled into a smug smile. "That is, when we're at work." He winked.

"Oh really?" Kagami gave him a doubtful look, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a small reddish-purple mark on Takao's collarbone.

Takao fastened the top button of his shirt with a sheepish grin. "Just kidding!"

Kagami only wore a flat look as he walked away with a large dash of red across his face.

* * *

Kagami sat on his hospital bedside, finally back in his everyday clothes and his arm was out of the sling. He waited for Midorima to explain the physiotherapy exercises and Rei to report the blood test results. Kuroko stood idly near the foot of the bed with a shoulder bag, full of Kagami's clothes, in his grip. He did not show it, but he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, delighted that the day of Kagam's discharge had finally come.

Midorima demonstrated various stretches and movements around the shoulder joint and arm of which Kagami mimed with his still-recovering arm. The physiotherapist also showed Kuroko how to assist in some of the exercises. Side stretches for Kagami's backside were also shown, and when he was done the demonstration, he handed the documents of drawn instructions (and a doctor's note) to Kuroko for safe-keeping.

Rei proceeded with his report – he pointed out several statistics that confused the redhead to no end. But the clinical biochemist made an effort to explain everything in layman's terms.

"Your WBC value is 8.60, which is well within the normal 4.80 - 10.80 range." He pointed to the number in the lab results document. "This means that your white blood cell count is normal; there are enough in your system to fight off bacteria. Everything looks normal so far. I can do a follow-up test with you in a couple of months to see if everything is still in order." He suggested with a lift of his glasses using his fingertips.

"And carry a butterfly-shaped item with you today," Midorima interjected. "Do your best, and luck will do the rest, nanodayo."

"Midorima-kun! Oha-Asa is not backed up by statistical proof!" Rei argued with almost a whiny tone. "Please do not teach it to others."

"Even outliers can happen in statistics, Ryuugazaki – ones that most likely have been affected by luck, nanodayo." Midorima retorted.

The two held a stern glare at each other. It was a wonder how they somehow worked in the same building – one was luck and Oha-Asa-inclined; the other was statistically and logically-inclined – polar opposites in the way of thinking.

Kagami and Kuroko did not care much for the banter. They were already tired of the hospital smell and just wanted to go home.

"Can we go now?" The redhead sounded half-annoyed, half-begging. But his eyes darted to the entrance of the room when he saw two familiar men enter. "Sousuke-san and Rin-san?"

"Hey, hey, Kagami," Rin walked up to them with his partner tagging behind. "We heard from Makoto. Sorry we couldn't visit you until today. But you're getting discharged! Congrats."

"Ah…thanks," the redhead replied.

Sousuke nodded to Rei and Midorima for a brief greeting. "I see my physio had been taking care of you. Dr. Midorima is the best I know."

"Your physio?" Kagami raised a brow in confusion, but let out an enlightened grunt when Sousuke tapped his own shoulder. He snorted. "Who would've thought we'd share the same doctor for the same kind of injury, huh?"

Midorima mused at that. "Hm. What a small, small world, nanodayo." He fixed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before turning his attention to Sousuke. "How is your shoulder feeling?"

"Still in good shape," Sousuke replied with a light tap to his left shoulder. "Oh! As directed, I also brought this today." He pulled a gray shark keychain out of his pocket. "Gray is Virgo's, my lucky colour today, and visiting a friend is the lucky event."

Rei and Kagami's jaw dropped; the redhead pointed a shaky finger at Sousuke.

"No! Sousuke-san, don't tell me you-"

Rin rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Yes, he did."

"I feel like my luck has really boosted with these." Sousuke pocketed the keychain again, a little bit of admiration showing in his voice as he counted his luck. "My shoulder is better, my job is great, my dogs are great…" He gave Rin a look out of his periphery. "…and I found my most important person."

Rin tried to stifle a blush, but ended up turning a heated, bright red as he grunted in embarrassment.

Midorima gave the taller officer a nod of approval. "Yes, keep it up, and the heavens will do the rest, nanodayo."

"Sousuke-san! Please do not encourage Midorima-kun!" Rei half-whined, half-reprimanded.

Sousuke only gave him an innocent shrug of the shoulders. "But it really works," he said matter-of-factly.

When Midorima began another one of his Oha Asa preaches, Sousuke listened intently; Rei attempted to reason his way through them, but was completely treated as static background noise. Kagami and Kuroko decided to quietly slip past them, utilizing the bluenet's misdirection to its fullest. But Rin caught up to them, begging (more like insisting) to follow just until Sousuke finishes and texts him to know his whereabouts.

Once they reached the hospital gardens, they sat on a nearby bench. Rin showed a toothy smile at Kagami's attempt to obscurely hold Kuroko's hand under their shoulder bag.

"How long have you both been together?" He asked curiously.

"Since highschool," Kuroko replied briefly.

"Heh? Highschool sweethearts, huh? That's cute," Rin commented before taking a glimpse at their linked hands. "The romance kept up, I see."

Kagami flustered with nervous babbling, sitting closer to his partner to hide their hands further.

The police officer chuckled, giving a light pat to the redhead's back. "No need to get shy, Taiga. Oh! Sorry, can I call you both by your first names?"

"That's fine," Kuroko replied.

"Yeah, I'm okay with that. Everyone in the U.S. calls me by my first name anyway," Kagami shrugged.

"Alrighty then, Taiga. And Tetsuya-sensei," Rin showed his usual smile, then his eyes widened in curiosity. "Wait! The U.S.? You lived there? So your English is like…really good, right?"

"Yeah…I guess so?" Kagami raised a brow. He was not sure where this conversation was going.

" _Ripper!"_ Rin suddenly exclaimed in English with an Australian accent, " _I lived in Australia for some time. Haven't had the bloody opportunity to practice my English with someone here_."

Kagami was taken aback. He chortled. " _Yeah, tell me about it. I got other friends who speak English, but we rarely hang out nowadays. I'm teaching Tetsuya some English, so I get to practice here and there. Otherwise, I feel like I'm gonna forget how to speak it_ ," Kagami followed in an American accent.

" _Good onya! A hard-working bloke, you are_ ," Rin nudged Kagami's side with his elbow.

The redhead only returned an uncertain look. "… _Thanks?_ "

" _It's a compliment_ ," Rin reassured with a snicker, to which Kagami let out an enlightened grunt. He then pulled out his phone to check the time. " _That fruit loop sure is taking his sweet time_ ," He absentmindedly commented.

" _I did not understand much of Rin-san's English_ ," Kuroko attempted as he joined in.

"Haha! As expected of Tetsuya-sensei, your English is pretty good!" Rin returned the conversation to Japanese for the bluenet's sake. After Kuroko thanked him, he explained, "I use a lot of Australian terms, so it's normal that you can't decipher much of it."

"I see." Kuroko smiled in fascination.

"Anyway, how did Sousuke-san get lured into Midorima's Oha Asa ways?" Kagami asked curiously, though his face scrunched into a grimace.

Rin groaned. "Like I said, he's a _fruit loop."_

"Oh, Shin-chan just has that kind of charm."

The three men looked up to find Takao with the usual grin.

"Hey there, guys!" The paramedic greeted with a wave of his hands. "What up, Rin-san?" He clasped his hand in the air with the dark-magenta-haired man.

"Yo, Kazu," Rin greeted him lazily before showing a playful scowl. "Your Dr. Midorima is giving the Oha Asa lecture to Sousuke again."

Takao sighed. "I think you're the only one in the world who understands fully of what I have to deal with every day."

"You got that right," The officer snorted, baring his sharp teeth in a smile.

Takao then eyed the couple next to him. "Oh yeah! It's Kagami's hospital-discharge day! Congrats!" He beamed.

"Thanks," the redhead replied. "Uh, totally off-topic, but you guys know each other too?"

"Duh! They come see Shin-chan every week. I know all of Shin-chan's patients and their families." Takao stated proudly. "Speaking of which, to answer your question, Kagami…" He began explaining how Sousuke became a follower of Oha Asa.

 _Just a few years ago, Midorima successfully became a registered orthopaedic physiotherapist – he was finally able to work with patients. Takao followed soon after when he became a certified paramedic. Both decided that they would have little time for themselves, so Takao applied to the same hospital. Working together was like going on dates every day – it just balanced out._

 _One particular morning, when Midorima checked the daily Oha Asa app. forecast for Cancer, he mused at his phone._

" _Cancers today will meet someone who shares a very similar passion as them. It will be a pleasant surprise, so you're ranked second today! Your lucky item is a pair of swimming goggles and lucky colour is orange."_

 _Midorima rummaged through the boxes of collected lucky items in his storage closet, finding a pair of unworn swimming goggles. He put them around his neck. As for the colour orange…he perused through his closet, but found nothing proper to wear for work that was orange._

 _Just when he was about to panic, Takao slipped in front of him and wrapped an orange necktie around his white shirt's collar._

" _I checked your forecast today, Shin-chan," Takao chirped as he looped the tie into a proper knot. "You can borrow this for today."_

 _Midorima gently took hold of his hands, diving down to give Takao a chaste kiss. The paramedic stared at him with a dumbfounded look before chuckling._

" _Thank you," Midorima mumbled before walking to the kitchen._

 _Takao chuckled even louder. "What are you going to do without me, Shin-chan?"_

" _I'd still manage very well, nanodayo."_

" _You're such a mood killer, Shin-chan…"_

* * *

 _Midorima waited in his office at the hospital. He checked his schedule on his computer screen. Apparently a "Yamazaki Sousuke" made an appointment with him that day for a shoulder injury. He grabbed a newly-made file with him and made his way to the patient room._

 _At the patient room, Rin and Sousuke waited. The room was spacious; there was what looked like a massage bed near the left wall of the room which Sousuke sat on; a small rolling stool rested next to it; on the opposite wall was a redwood computer table with a flat-screen desktop placed at the center._

 _Sousuke softly massaged his left shoulder._

" _Does it still hurt?" Rin frowned in concern._

" _A little; not as much as yesterday." Sousuke tried to give him a reassuring smile._

" _Do you think this doctor is any good?" Rin rested his back against the edge of the bed._

" _I think so," Sousuke shrugged with his uninjured shoulder. "I mean, Captain Kasamatsu recommended him. Can't go wrong with that, right?"_

" _He'd probably kick you if you doubted him," Rin snickered then went over to nuzzle his partner's jaw line. "Sousuke," his voice became soft, "Just remember that you're my partner at work and at home – shoulder injury or not. If you think you're a burden, I'll kick you hard."_

 _Sousuke turned his head to rest his chin onto the other man's dark-magenta hair. He smiled. "I never thought that, but I'll still remember that for sure."_

 _Rin grunted in satisfaction with the answer._

" _Yamazaki Sousuke-san," Midorima suddenly called out as he slid the door open. Just as he looked up from his clipboard, he caught a glimpse of Rin jolting away with a giant blush._

" _That's me, doctor," Sousuke replied with a small bow._

" _Nice to meet you," Rin cleared his throat and did the same._

" _Ah, I as well," Midorima bowed in return and glanced at him before he sat on the stool. "So it's a shoulder injury from long-term strain?"_

 _Sousuke and Rin answered all of his questions while he jotted down the details. Midorima then helped remove the officer's shirt to examine the shoulder. There was a visible bruise near the joint. He pressed his nimble fingers onto the muscles then jotted down more notes. Before long, he prescribed a long list of physiotherapy exercises and massages which he taught to both officers. Midorima demonstrated one of the massage techniques; when Sousuke gently moved his shoulder, his eyes widened in surprise – the pain virtually disappeared._

" _A combination of these once a day will ensure a speedy recovery. But keep doing it for maintenance, nanodayo." Midorima explained. "Your shoulder may be beyond full repair, but we can keep it running well with proper monitoring and maintenance."_

" _Thank you, Dr. Midorima!" Rin gave the bespectacled man a 90-degree bow._

 _Midorima nodded. "You're welcome. That's all for today; when you go home, you can help Yamazaki-san with the massaging."_

 _Rin jolted upwards at that, face turning red when Midorima gave him a curt smile._

" _Dr. Midorima, are you a swimmer?" Sousuke suddenly asked curiously._

" _No. Why?"_

" _You have a pair of swimming goggles around your neck."_

" _Oh," Midorima fingered the goggles, then his eyes lit up in realization. "This is my lucky item for today."_

"… _Lucky item?" The officers asked simultaneously._

" _I follow Oha Asa. It gives a daily forecast of lucky items, nanodayo." Midorima stared at them both seriously. "Speaking of which, what are your star signs?"_

 _Rin inched little by little towards the door. He immediately regretted asking what the lucky item was. Sousuke, on the other hand, listened in fascination as Midorima wrote the Oha Asa app details on a doctor's note._

" _I'll start this tomorrow," Sousuke gave him a determined look._

" _Yes, do that and the other exercises. You will see how life-changing this will be, nanodayo."_

" _Sousuke, we gotta go."_

" _Can you check our lucky items for today, doctor? I'm a Virgo. And Rin is an Aquarius."_

" _Now!"_

Takao snorted when he finished retelling the event, rubbing his palm down his face. "And then Shin-chan came home all 'a patient listened to me! He shares the same passion of Oha Asa, nanodayo!' Like, really?"

Kagami and Kuroko gave Takao a flat look. From behind the bench where they sat, Sousuke suddenly emerged.

"You took so long, sheesh!" Rin complained with a playful frown.

"Sorry, Dr. Midorima was telling me about all the new updates on the Oha Asa app." Sousuke explained with a serious tone. "Then he went to the trouble of checking your forecast too."

"He didn't have to!" Rin threw his head back against the bench in a groan.

"You actually have a lucky activity today instead," Sousuke ignored his partner and continued, "and that is snuggling!"

Rin sat up straight to give him a raised brow as his mouth hung open. "Are you an idiot?"

Takao was holding his sides as he burst out in a fit of chuckles; Kuroko did not give any reaction like usual; and Kagami just did not know how to react, so he only stared.

"I'll be your snuggle bunny, so let's hurry home," Sousuke grabbed his partner by the arm and lead him towards the hospital entrance.

"Oi! Stupid Sousuke! What the hell! I'm not going to follow your Oha Asa antics!" Rin flustered as he comically struggled while being dragged away. He turned around to reach an arm out to the other men. "Guys! Don't let him take me!"

Takao waved his hand excitedly in the air. "Have fun!"

Kuroko let out a barely audible chuckle which was only perceived by Kagami. It threw the fireman into a number of thoughts; it all felt surreal. He could finally go home to Kuroko and experience all their private moments together again – private moments which he had taken for granted. And this stay at the hospital made him realize that even more.

He squeezed Kuroko's hand tighter. The vacation would be a great opportunity to slow down and appreciate everything with his husband.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : When I wrote Rin's English dialogue, I felt awkward because I put in a lot of Australian slang to get the point across. Haha.

(1) I'm following an Oha Asa Tumblr page…funnily, when I finished writing this chapter, my lucky colour the next day was also orange. I was rummaging through my closet and things for something orange. I got kind of irritated like Midorima until I found an orange cat phone strap. Hahaha!

(2) Fruit loop: Australian slang for "a fool".

(3) Oha Asa: There's an Oha-asa Tumblr page that explains that the "lucky item" is actually a "Key to good fortune", which can be an object, activity, event, direction or even a place.

(4) 90-degree bow: In Japan, the deeper you bow to a person, the more respect you show to that person.


	9. Ch 7: Traveling to Nostalgia

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : So they are finally going on their trip to Iwatobi. Who's going to pet-sit Nigou, though? What kind of events are to come?

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Traveling to Nostalgia**

Aomine opened the door to his apartment to find Kagami and Kuroko with rolling luggage and their husky at their feet. It was the early Friday morning before the flight to Iwatobi. The officer had promised to look after Nigou for them while they were away for the four days that followed; it was a good opportunity to practice for when he would get his own K-9 companion. So the couple brought the husky over to his place for safe-keeping.

Aomine blinked a few times before he snorted. "Wow, matching lover's outfits? You guys are so lame."

The couple looked down at their own shirts; Kuroko was wearing a short-sleeved, white hoodie with a wide black stripe down each side; Kagami was wearing a white windbreaker with the same black stripe down each side.

"Shut up!" The redhead flustered "It's a coincidence!"

Kuroko cleared his throat. "Now, I want to make this clear," he said while swinging a large duffle bag to his front. "Here's a bag of his food, his treats, his leash, favorite toy, brush…" Kuroko had unzipped the bag to show each item inside to Aomine.

Aomine gave a lazy grunt to every one that Kuroko held up to his face.

The bluenet rambled on with his instructions while Kagami lazily leaned against the doorframe. "You have to take him out to walk twice a day. He likes being scratched behind the ears and if he whines, it probably means that he wants a tummy rub too. Do not feed him anything but the things we packed for you. If you want, you can spoil him a little by letting him sleep in your bed. Oh, and make sure to bring two plastic bags when you walk him; he tends to drop a lot of leavings…"

"Okay, I got it, Tetsu! You sound like a mom, sheesh. Worse case I'll text you if I'm not sure," Aomine groaned.

"Yes," The bluenet then pulled a list out from the bag. "I figured you would not listen and then cry to me on the phone that you can't handle it…"

"Damn you, Tetsu!"

"So I made a list with instructions for your reference," Kuroko held out the list.

"Yeah, thanks, I'll take care of everything." Aomine grabbed the papers, "Now get going or you'll miss your flight."

Kuroko knelt down to meet Nigou at his eye level. "Be good, Nigou. We'll be back soon." He gently pet the husky's head.

"Yeah, later, Nigou!" Kagami ruffled the dog's fur rather ecstatically. "I want my dog to be the way I left him here when I come back, got it?"

"I'll have him in even better shape by then, you punk ass!" Aomine growled before he returned to a lazy tone. "Okay then, have fun."

"Thank you again, Aomine-kun," Kuroko bowed.

"Stop that," the officer grimaced comically, still unaccustomed to the bluenet's habit of formality.

"Bye!" The couple called back as they made their way out of Aomine's apartment.

Nigou stared at the door when it closed shut, his head tilted to the side then his ears drooped as he whimpered. Aomine let out a confused "hm?" and raised a brow until he jumped at Nigou's sudden howl that echoed beyond the apartment door.

"Arooooooooo~~ Arooooooooooo!"

"Kagami-kun, I can't. I'm going back to get Nigou."

"Ah? We booked tickets already!"

"Nigou is calling for me."

"He can freaking survive! Aomine will take care of him!"

"….Nigou! I'm coming!"

"Oh no, you're not! We got a flight to catch!"

"Please let go of my hood, Kagami-kun. I will trip if I walk backwards…Kagami-kun, are you listening?"

The redhead struggled to drag the extra luggage to the taxi.

* * *

At the Tokyo Haneda Airport, Kagami and Kuroko waited in front of the gate to their flight. They were early, as usual; Haruka and Makoto, on the other hand, were late. Kagami kept watching the clock on the wall, anxiously tapping his foot on the ground.

"Taiga-kun! Tetsuya-kun!" Makoto called out as he approached them.

Haruka caught up to him, each held matching, dark-blue, rolling suitcases.

"Sorry for the delay!" Makoto heaved a large breath as he set his suitcase upright. "Haru was grilling mackerel with me again." He smiled as he gave Haruka a look out of the corner of his eye.

Haruka only nonchalantly passed him to speak with Kuroko. Though there was a faint tint of red on his cheekbones.

"Is that what they call it? 'Grilling mackerel'?," Kagami thought to himself while he awkwardly smiled. "It's cool, senpai. You're not THAT late. I think they're going to open the gate soon."

"I see," The brunet let out a sigh of relief.

"Good morning passengers," The intercom sounded, "This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 77N to Iwatobi. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready…"

"Oh! Let's go, guys," Kagami pulled the handle up from his rolling suitcase and made his way to the gate with the others following behind.

Kuroko looked up to stare at Haruka. "Haruka-san, this is going to be a vacation of great memories."

"Yes," The sous-chef nodded. "It will be very nostalgic visiting my hometown."

The bluenet stared at him a little more before he kept his eyes forward. "I meant that you will have great memories after the next few days." He thought to himself as he tried to hide a smile.

As the two couples passed the gate, the air hostess greeted them with a bow.

"Welcome to Kiropengin Airlines!"

* * *

The plane had finally reached its peak altitude. The seatbelt indicator turned off, signaling all passengers that they could unbuckle their seatbelts. It was only a matter of waiting on this two-hour long trip.

The four men sat in the same row of seats at the center. They were lucky enough to get the front-most row in the coach section, so there was some leg room. As they stretched out comfortably, the captain began his announcement over the intercom.

"Good morning, passengers. This is your captain speaking," Came a husky voice which made the female crowd murmur and giggle. "First, I'd like to welcome everyone on Kiropengin Airlines Flight 77N. We are currently cruising at an altitude of 30,000 feet at an airspeed of 600 kilometers per hour. The time is 9:52 AM."

"His voice sounds familiar," Kuroko suddenly commented.

"It does, huh?" Kagami tried to figure out where he heard the voice from. It was bothering him.

The captain's tone gained a bit of excitement as he continued the announcement. "The weather looks fantastic and with the tailwind on our side we are expecting to land in Iwatobi right on schedule-ssu."

"…'-ssu'…" Kagami and Kuroko deadpanned at the same time.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Makoto bent forward to eye the younger couple.

"Hi! This is your first officer speaking!" came a cheerful, high-baritone voice from the intercom. "We're actually going to my hometown right now. And it's almost always sunny, so we should get a breathtaking view of the town as we descend! Lucky you, window passengers!"

The rest of the passengers chuckled, murmuring even louder at the energetically unorthodox voice.

"Eh? That voice…" Makoto pondered to himself.

"…I know that voice and tone," Haruka perked up.

The captain continued, "The beautiful flight attendants-san will be coming around in about twenty minutes to offer you a light snack and beverage. I'll talk to you again before we reach our destination-ssu."

"Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the flight!" The captain and first officer chirped simultaneously.

At the 'click' sound of the intercom, all four men were left restless in their seats.

* * *

When they landed, the pilot and co-pilot both chirped a "welcome to Iwatobi!" over the intercom. As the plane came to a stop, the passengers gathered their belongings, leaving in an orderly file out the gate.

The two couples did not even have to ask each other; they placed their luggage at their feet and waited in front of the gate. The pilot and co-pilot must have been coming out very soon.

"Rei did say that Nagisa is a co-pilot at Kiropengin Airlines, right?" Haruka asked rather stoically, but his eyes sparked in anticipation.

"Un. He did," Makoto replied, never redirecting his sight from the gate.

"I received a text from Kise-kun a while back, saying that he made it as an airplane pilot," Kuroko explained, "I only brushed him off and assumed it was one of his modeling themes, though."

"Oh really?" Kagami snorted. He then paused and let out a small pout. "Hey, you never told me you kept in touch with Kise."

"Correction: It is Kise-kun who insists on constantly keeping in touch with me," Kuroko reasoned.

After a few more minutes of watching the gate, two blond figures emerged; a tall pilot and his shorter co-pilot.

"Good work today, Hazukicchi!"

"Good work, Ryou-chan!"

Both men wore white dress shirts with saffron neckties, covered by black blazers; goldenrod stripes showed around the cuffs of the sleeves. Both of them wore airline pilot hats with a goldenrod stripe embroidered over where the hem and visor met. The pilot had handsome features and the co-pilot had a charming baby face.

The two blond men stared at the couples in front of them. It took them a few seconds to register, but their eyes instantly lit up as they pounced forward in excited cheers.

"Kurokocchi! Kagamicchi!" Kise circled an arm around each of his former teammates' necks, pulling them into a tight hug.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!" Nagisa did the same to the older couple.

"Tch! Again, with the stupid nickname! You haven't changed, ah?" Kagami tried in vain to pry Kise's arm away.

The pilot only hugged them closer, squishing his cheeks affectionately between Kuroko and Kagami's. "I missed you guys so much! What are you doing here?!"

"Vacation," the bluenet replied curtly.

"All four of us together," Makoto further explained with a bright smile.

"Uwah! Seems fun! I can't believe you guys are here! It was like…forever since we last kept contact!" Nagisa hopped excitedly. Even as a grown man, he retained a rather short stature and baby face with a complementing bubbly personality that never changed. Nagisa perked up. "Wait, 'all four', you say?" He looked around the group. "Does this mean that we were all networked and didn't even know it?"

"Heh?" Kise pondered as he scanned the group. "Well, I know Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi from our basketball days; I know Hazukicchi because you're my co-pilot…" He pointed to Nagisa.

The shorter blond man pointed to the older couple. "I know Haru-chan and Mako-chan from swim club days; and Ryou-chan, you're my colleague…"

The two pilots marveled for a moment before they hopped excitedly in tandem. "What a small world, this is!" They simultaneously burst out.

"We traveled all over the world, but it's a wonder how it can be so small like this." Nagisa smiled.

The couples chuckled. Honestly, the weeks that have passed were one reuniting meeting right after the other. No matter how far away they drifted apart, they all somehow came back into their lives; old friends were seen again, and new friends were made.

A great wave of nostalgia hit Makoto suddenly - he grew even more excited for the weekend to come.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kise jolted before he cupped Kuroko's left hand between the palms of his hands. "What is this?!" His eyes glimmered at the wedding ring. He caught sight of Kagami's ring and grabbed his hand to examine too. His eyes darted back and forth between the matching designs. "When did this happen?! How did I not know?!"

"What the hell do you mean 'how'?" Kagami clicked his tongue. "We got married in private a while back. No big party, no hassle, just simple."

Kise's expression immediately changed to that of a kicked puppy.

"How could you marry this guy, Kurokocchi?!"

"You wanna pick a fight, Kise?!"

"Kise-kun, please calm down. Your voice hurts my ears," Kuroko deadpanned.

"So mean, Kurokocchi!"

While the three former basketball teammates bantered, the former swim team watched curiously.

"Wow, when Ryou-chan is with them, I can really feel the…how would you put it?" Nagisa mentally searched for the perfect descriptive word. "…The rough intensity."

Makoto chortled. "You can really tell the different air between basketball players and swimmers, huh?" He put on a proud smile as he focused on the shorter blond. "So how do you like your job?"

Nagisa put one hand on his hip and pulled at the visor of his cap with the other. "It's great! I get to travel the world just like I wanted to." His eyes then darted between his two former senpai. "How about Haru-chan and Mako-chan?"

"I made it as a sous-chef at a brunch restaurant in Ginza," Haruka answered. "And Makoto is a firefighter." He then pointed to Kagami. "That's his kouhai right there."

Upon hearing his name, Kagami paused his banter, perking up and waving to Nagisa with a stuttered "Hello."

"Next to him is his husband, the powder-blue-haired person," Haruka indicated, to which Nagisa confusedly looked around.

"Where? I don't see him?"

Kuroko bowed. "Nice to meet you."

"WOAH!" Nagisa jumped in a startle.

"Hey, hey, Hazukicchi! Remember the phantom player on my basketball team who I was talking about? This is him!" Kise wrapped an arm affectionately around Kuroko's shoulders, much to Kagami's chagrin.

"Oh that is so cool!" Nagisa marveled with glittering eyes. He approached the bluenet with a hop. "Your virtually zero presence is really something when you experience it in person! Oh!" He bowed in a hurry. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hazuki Nagisa!"

"Kuroko Tetsuya." Kuroko smiled after his introduction.

"I'll definitely remember your name!" Nagisa cheerfully burst out. "Tetsu-chan!"

The bluenet's expression quickly changed to the flattest look he had ever given someone. "'Tetsu-chan'…"

Kagami could not help but snicker a little at the name.

"Oh! Ryou-chan! We gotta go prepare for the next flight!" Nagisa caught a glimpse of the clock.

"Euh? Already?" Kise whined.

Kagami took the opportunity to brush the pilot's arm off of Kuroko. "Alright then, get going, Kise." He protectively hugged Kuroko close to his side.

Kise blinked, then smiled. "Okay! It was really nice seeing you both-ssu!" He flashed a challenging smirk at the redhead. "Kurokocchi is still cute as ever, huh?" He only heard Kagami grumble loudly before he let out a chortle. "Nice meeting you all! Please excuse us!" He waved to the older couple who nodded in return.

"Bye Haru-chan, Mako-chan! And the basketball couple! See you sometime soon!"

As the two blond men pulled their suitcases off in a hurry, so did the two couples. Kagami subconsciously pouted the entire way; as always, his husband kept a close observant gaze on him.

"I don't quite remember seeing this type of expression from you." The bluenet commented.

"Ah?" Kagami scowled. "What are you talking about? I always have this kind of face."

Kuroko's stare was unwavering. "…I do remember you being a terrible liar, though."

"I'm so going to make sure you don't sleep tonight!"

* * *

From the Iwatobi airport, the four men rode a taxi down to Haruka's old home. The sous-chef's parents were still overseas, but kept the place as a vacation home for any of their timely visits. Makoto's parents' home remained only a couple of meters away from Haruka's; his family still lived there, but was away for the weekend.

The four men hauled their luggage up the hill and stone steps to Haruka's old home. As they slid open the door, Kagami and Kuroko uttered a brief "sorry for the disturbance" before they entered. The place was surprisingly well-maintained.

"If you're wondering, Haru and I come back here once in a while to clean the place." Makoto explained with a smile.

"It's totally sparkly," Kagami commented as he set all the luggage with the help of his senpai.

"Either way, we're very grateful to you both for letting us stay here." Kuroko bowed.

"Oh, not at all!" Makoto leaned down to whisper. "Thank _you_ for coming along on this vacation."

"Ready to go see the beach?" Haruka hurriedly walked past them and out the front door.

"Was that supposed to be a question or a demand?!"

The three men followed behind as they descended the steps again. At the foot of the hills, the sight of the ocean was clear. Immediately, they smelled the scent of the sea carried over by the wind; the sunlit waters shone in the distance; the wooden pier stretched out over the white sands.

Kagami and Kuroko marveled at the view as they followed the older couple onto the pier.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Makoto was proud in showing off his hometown. "It's very nostalgic…Haru and I used to walk to school along this beach. And we took our jogs here almost every evening together…" He sighed wistfully with a blush and grabbed onto the back of Haruka's t-shirt collar when the sous-chef made his way to the water. "Let's take a picture together for the start of our memories!" He wrapped a firm arm around Haruka.

"Senpai, that's embarrassing." Kagami commented in a sheepish grin. "But whatever! It sounds good!" He pulled his digital camera out, flipping the back screen up so that he could see their selfie and adjust accordingly.

Kuroko leaned in close with Makoto following. As they smiled, Kagami pressed the shutter.

"Great! Now let's take another one in three, two, o-"

"Wait, where's Haru? Ah! Haru! Don't take off your shir-UWOH! Now's not the time to swim!"

"Huh?"

 _Ker-snap!_

The shot developed on the screen; Kuroko and Kagami were shown looking back to the end of the pier where Haruka stripped down to his jammers and dove for the water; Makoto was shown rushing after Haruka with flailing arms.

"Mm," Kuroko nodded in acknowledgement when he heard the splashing sound. "Haruka-san's misdirection improved."

"Sheesh." Kagami rubbed the palm of his hand down his face.

* * *

When Haruka finally got out of the water, Makoto's motherly habits kicked in as he pulled the shirt over his partner, all the while scolding him. The sous-chef only grunted and reached a hand down to lace his fingers with the brunet's.

"I guess it can't be helped," Makoto sighed with a chirp.

"Like usual." Kagami and Kuroko thought in tandem with a flat look.

Haruka brought the group down to the markets to buy ingredients. The store owners greeted the older couple, fawning over how they had grown. As a small town, everyone was close-knit; so when Makoto and Haruka came back to visit, they remembered. They were offered many fresh delicacies at lowered prices. When they were bringing their groceries back, the seaside town scent brought back fond memories.

Not before long, they reached the top of the stone steps where all four men stopped in their tracks to muse at a cardboard box on the porch. Kuroko's eyes glimmered when he caught sight of something poking its head up from the edges.

"Cat." He simply uttered, voice lined with a little bit of excitement.

A white, short-haired kitten climbed onto the edges to get a better view of the group that approached her; a squeaky meow escaped her.

"Oh!" Makoto gently reached out to pet its head. The kitten purred at his touch, so he picked it up into his arms. "She has the same eyes as that stray white cat that used to be here, remember, Haru? I wonder where she is."

"You're right." Haruka said as he leaned in to pet the cat. "Maybe this one is a part of her litter? It's been years…"

"Yeah," Makoto smiled. "Hey, can we keep her?"

"…Like, bring her back to Tokyo with us?" Haruka skeptically raised a brow. "Can we do that?"

"Why not? Our apartment allows pets," Makoto chirped. "I regret not taking in the other cat during my high school years. So, I don't want to lose the chance with this one.

Haruka's sea-blue eyes glimmered; he smiled serenely.

"I can text Kise-kun to find out the procedures…" Kuroko suggested as he flipped his phone open and began pressing at the keyboard.

Kagami pouted again. Something just annoyed him every time he heard Kuroko mention the name "Kise".

The bluenet's phone flashed several times to indicate a number of texts that entered. "Kise-kun replied," he scrolled through the messages with Makoto and Haruka looking over his shoulders. "He says that as long as the cat is kept in a carrier and we register her in advance before the return flight, it will be fine." His phone blinked again. "You can also keep the carrier in the cabin with you. A short, 2-hour flight should be alright for an animal."

"Uwah! That's really great to hear!" Makoto held the kitten close. "Kise-san is very helpful."

Kuroko blinked as he flipped his phone closed. "…I guess so." And just like he expected, he heard another low grumble from the redhead. He kept an observant eye on his husband out of his periphery.

"I can't believe people still abandon animals like this," Haruka suddenly pointed out then gently caressed the kitten's ears. "We'll take good care of you, I promise."

Makoto could not help but stare at his partner. Seeing Haruka's loving side like that always made his chest swivel like the rolling tide.

"We should bring her to the local vet tomorrow just in case," he suggested.

"Yeah, in the meantime, let's go inside, I'll start on lunch for everyone." Haruka lightly tapped the kitten's nose. "And I'll make some mackerel for you." He said in his usual stoic tone.

Makoto's face contorted into a goofy smile. With one free arm, he hugged onto Haruka from behind. "Haru…! You're so cute!" He cooed as his partner dragged him forwards.

"Senpai!" Kagami smacked the palm of his hand onto his own eyes in embarrassment. "Stop doing stuff like that in front of us!"

* * *

Throughout the evening that followed, the couples walked around Iwatobi for sight-seeing. The older couple even took Kagami and Kuroko to their old swimming club and school. Other than some comments here and there, Kagami remained relatively silent – it made the bluenet feel a little bit awkward.

When night had fallen and the group finished dinner, they decided to rest for the remainder of the day. Kuroko and Kagami set out their futons on the floor of the guestroom. The white kitten circled the two as they fixed the mattresses.

"Hey guys, how's everything?" Makoto peeked in from the doorway.

"Good. The room is spacious. We are very grateful," Kuroko gave a small smile.

"I'm glad!" Makoto chirped. "Oh! I'm going to take a bath with Haru so that it'll save time for you guys to use it sooner. See you later!"

"Senpai! Too much info!" Kagami comically roared after the brunet who had already walked off in a hurry. "And I don't think that would ACTUALLY save any time!" He flustered with a scowl and sigh. "Sheesh, those two."

Kuroko let out an airy chuckle. "Makoto-san seems to be very excited for this weekend."

"Or the nerves are making him say even more embarrassing things than usual…" Kagami raised a brow.

"I wonder…" The bluenet commented. It seemed like his husband's behaviour was back to normal, but there was just something he wanted to confirm. Slowly, he flipped open his phone and peered at Kagami from the corner of his eye. "Kise-kun texted me again."

"Ah, oh." The redhead (seemingly) nonchalantly grunted.

"Kise-kun texts with a lot of heart emoticons."

"Oh, really?"

"He has a strange request too."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Kagami's voice began to show some concern.

"He asked me when I'm free." Kuroko stared straight at him with observing eyes. "Because he wants to take me out to dinner sometime; just me. Alone. With him."

The former Seirin ace grumbled; his face shifted into a deep, comical frown. "Kise sure is particularly affectionate towards you, huh? That bastard."

Kuroko watched his husband closely, piecing the puzzle together until it clicked into place. "Kagami-kun," he stared blankly at the redhead. "I knew it – you're jealous."

"…Hah?!" a dash of red formed across Kagami's face.

Kuroko's lips turned into one of his larger smiles. "Kagami-kun is jealous." Amongst his husband's befuddled stuttering, the bluenet leaned forward to latch onto Kagami. He buried his heated face into the taller man's chest. "Kagami-kun, that's very adorable."

"Can it! Do you know how much it pisses me off seeing him snuggle up to you like a cat? Like that!" He pointed to the white kitten which brushed herself onto the side of Kuroko's thigh. He gently poked the kitten until she toppled over, showing her belly which Kagami rubbed.

Kuroko cuddled closer to him. "Kise-kun is like that – he likes to tease people," Kuroko calmly reassured him. "And besides," a light rosy colour tinted his cheeks as he paused. "I'm just a shadow that follows only one light."

Kagami blinked in bewilderment. "You…" He turned away with an even more flustered expression. "…and you say that I say embarrassing lines."

"Yes you do," The bluenet moved back to give him the usual stoic expression. "That's why I'm taking my revenge right now."

"Heh." Kagami grinned while he ruffled Kuroko's hair. "That's cute." He fell backwards onto the futon, pulling him on top. He caressed Kuroko's back while the bluenet nuzzled affectionately into his chest. "So, are you actually going to dinner with Kise?"

"…I beg your pardon?"

"You said he asked you."

"…Oh. That was just a lie to test you."

"Na-! You little!"

Kagami swiftly rolled him onto his back. With a cunning smirk, he leaned down towards his husband's soft, pale lips.

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Makoto ran a lathered sponge down Haruka's back and proceeded to pour a large container of warm water over him.

"We should really take our time after all, huh?" The brunet chuckled sheepishly.

Haruka airily sighed. "Just keep pouring water."

* * *

 **A/N** : Chapter 7.5 to come - featuring a side story of Aomine pet-sitting Nigou. Can he handle it?!

1) Traveling to Nostalgia: The title is a pun! 'To' (と) means 'and' in Japanese. So in Japanese context, the title is "Traveling AND Nostalgia". But in English context, it is "Traveling TO (something, and that something is:) Nostalgia". Hahaha!

2) Kiropengin Airlines: "Kiro" means yellow, and "pengin" is "penguin". I came up with the name since Kise is associated with the colour yellow and Nagisa is associated with penguins.

3) Flight 77N: The numbers are based off of Kise's jersey number '7' and N for 'Nagisa'.

4) Tokyo to Iwatobi: So the internet says that Iwatobi is most likely based off of Iwami, a seaside town in the Tottori prefecture. Apparently it takes approximately two hours to go from Tokyo to Iwami, so I based the trip from Tokyo to Iwatobi off of that.

5) Ryou-chan: Like in the anime, Nagisa adds '-chan' to everyone's name, usually after the shortened version of their first names.

6) Hazukicchi: Like in the anime, Kise adds '-cchi' to the end of the last names of the people he admires.

7) The photograph at the pier: This was inspired by a crossover fanart I saw. I swear, I love that picture. If you Google image "Kuroko free crossover", it's one of the pictures that show up.


	10. Ch 7-5: A Cured Lovesick Puppy

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : Aomine dog-sitting Nigou – can he handle it?! Includes some light Kasamastu x Kise and Sousuke x Rin. But this chapter is mostly about Aomine and Nigou.

 **Warnings** : Yaoi BL pairings: featuring Kagami x Kuroko, Makoto x Haruka and maybe some others in future chapters. The story takes place years after they graduated highschool, so readers who have not passed the Winter Cup finals in KnB, read at your own risk.

* * *

 **Chapter 7.5: A Cured Lovesick Puppy**

The Friday morning that Kuroko and the others left for Iwatobi was also the Friday morning where Aomine began to care for Nigou. The husky stopped howling after a few minutes, but crouched onto the floor of the gekkan with his ears drooped. Honestly, Aomine felt hopeless, and even though he was worried, he still packed his things for work. He decided to treat Nigou like a man and let him have his space to cool off. So he carefully walked over the dog to slip his shoes on and pull open the door to leave.

Just when he was about to step out, he contemplated on something, grunted and returned to the kitchen.

Nigou's ears twitched when he heard the officer's footsteps. Next thing he knew, a bowl of water and a bowl of food were placed in front of him. He eyed the bowl, briefly sniffing the contents, then rolled his eyes up to meet Aomine.

"Er…um…" Aomine shyly rubbed the back of his head. He sighed through his nose, leaning down to quickly pet the canine. "I-I'll be back soon. G-Good boy. Eat up," he managed to say. Wearing his usual scowl, he took one last look at the dog before he closed the apartment door behind him.

Nigou heard the set of jingling keys then fading footsteps soon after. He pushed himself up from the floor to sniff the bowl of food again. When he took his first bite, he recognized the beef and fish flavour that Kuroko and Kagami had always fed him. He finished the bowl in a matter of minutes then thought that maybe the scary-looking nii-chan was not so bad after all.

* * *

The apartment door did not budge for hours. Nigou rolled onto his back, stood up, and sat at the gekkan interchangeably, all the while watching the door. It was very scary being alone in an unfamiliar apartment. He kind of wondered why his owners left him there. Would they even come back for him? But even if they did not, at least the nii-chan was there. He wished that the nii-chan would come home soon.

At that thought, lazy footsteps approached from beyond the door, then the sound of clinking keys. Nigou quickly sat up with his ears perked up. When the door opened to reveal Aomine, Nigou hung his tongue out in a happy smile.

"Yo," The tanned officer greeted as he closed the door behind him. "Been a good boy?"

Nigou barked excitedly, though he was still a bit cautious because he took hesitant steps forward and back. He whimpered a little.

Aomine raised a brow at that. But then he hummed in thought when Kuroko's instructions flickered in his memory.

" _If he whines, it probably means that he wants a tummy rub."_

Aomine looked down at the husky, shyly turning his head side-to-side as if he were afraid someone would be watching him. But he reached out a nervous hand to pet Nigou who, not before long, dropped to the floor on his back. Aomine took the opportunity to rub his stomach, of which the husky's tail batted happily in return.

"Heh, dumb dog," Aomine snickered.

That evening, Aomine ordered take-out and made sure to feed the husky the proper amount of kibble. His eyes glued onto the caretaking notes, he poured two scoops of kibble into Nigou's bowl.

"Heh," he snorted. "This is stupidly detailed."

Later on, they went out for a walk around the neighborhood and even stopped by the outdoor basketball court. The tanned officer shot hoops by himself, practicing his dribbling all the while Nigou barked every time he scored. Aomine found that extremely entertaining – save for the part when they went home. Along the path, Aomine grimaced as he picked up the umpteenth clump of Nigou's dropping.

"Damn, you poop a lot," he commented, throwing the bag into an alleyway trash bin before heading up the stairs to his apartment.

It was late into the evening when Aomine finished showering and entered his bedroom. He found Nigou already sitting at the bedside, eyes somewhat glimmering in anticipation.

"Uh…" He scratched the back of his head in contemplation then shrugged. "Ah, whatever, go up." He flicked his hand as a signal for Nigou to climb onto his bed, which the husky did immediately. "You're only allowed 'cause you're a special guest." He explained as he tucked himself under the bed sheets. When he turned over, he found Nigou had toppled onto his side and stared straight at him with light-blue eyes that very much resembled Kuroko's. Aomine grumbled in embarrassment. "Okay, 'night." He turned his table lamp off.

* * *

Saturday…normally people had the day off. But for Aomine (he groaned sleepily in bed), his team had a shift that day. Slowly, he forced himself up for his morning routine; Nigou still lay on the sheets fast asleep.

Half and hour later, however, Nigou jolted awake when he heard the set of jingling keys – the sound that he associated with "the nii-chan is leaving so I'll be all alone". So he jumped out of bed and dashed for the gekkan where Aomine stared at him with wide eyes. Nigou hopped on his hind legs to paw at the tanned officer's knees with a whimper.

"Ah? I put food in your bowl already." Aomine somewhat whined. He slumped his shoulders and returned to the kitchen to fetch said bowl. When he placed it at the canine's feet, Nigou still whimpered and stared up at him with lonesome eyes. "What do you want already?" Aomine grumbled irritably. But when Nigou's ears drooped and he looked dejected, the officer began to understand. "Uh…I gotta work though." He explained as he bent over to put his shoes on. "I'll come back soon," He reassured with a gentler voice, which surprised even himself.

Aomine pouted with a small blush. "Ah…!" He groaned as he brusquely pet the dog. "Good dog, be good." He took a step out of his apartment then began to close the door. He would not admit that his heart crumbled when he caught a glimpse of Nigou's lonely expression through the crack.

* * *

Near the end of the day, Aomine stared off into the distance during the team meeting in Captain Kasamatsu's office. The Captain was giving a briefing on their progress to Rin, Sousuke and Aomine. But the tanned officer's mind was elsewhere – somewhere in his apartment where he wondered how the husky was doing; Kasamatsu instantly noticed.

With a piercing, steel-blue glare, he called out in a calm yet deadly voice, "PC 53108."

Rin and Sousuke tensed – Kasamatsu only called out officers by their badge numbers when he became furious with them. What was worse was that Aomine was still daydreaming about something; he did not answer the Captain. Kasamatsu ground his teeth.

"PC…!" A vein popped up on Kasamatsu's forehead. "53108!" He roared, lunging forward to grab a doggy squeak toy on his desk which he threw at Aomine.

"Ow! The hell?!" Aomine snapped out of his thoughts, holding the squeak toy in confusion.

"I'm going to kick you! What the hell were you tuning out for?! HAH?!" Kasamatsu slammed his fist on the desk. "Did you sleep properly?! Yeah, I'm pissed off that we have to work on a Saturday too. But too bad! It's still a work day for us, so carry your brain to work!"

"Why are you freaking out? I was just tuning out for a bit – isn't that normal? Calm down, Captain," The tanned officer groaned.

Rin and Sousuke wore flat looks, cautiously inching their chairs away from their kouhai. Kasamatsu was sure to rain down a heavy storm at Aomine.

"Piece of crap! Pay attention during briefings! I'm going to punch you!" The Captain's glare pierced through Aomine.

The former Toō ace coiled into the backrest of his chair with a sigh through his nose. "Yes sir, sorry sir."

His two senpai watched him curiously – it was not every day that Aomine would submit to the Captain like that.

At the end of the briefing, all three officers exited the Captain's office and made their way down the corridors. Finally, they could go home – Aomine was glad for that…sort of. Just thinking of the husky at home made his head hurt. Were there even notes written on how to deal with Nigou when he felt lonely? Maybe he should have studied those paper instructions thoroughly, he thought.

"…No way," he lazily groaned to himself.

"Oi, Daiki!"

Aomine jerked his head to the side to see Rin giving him a scowl.

"What's the matter with you today?" The dark-magenta-haired officer clicked his tongue. "I was asking if you wanted to hang out. Did you hear anything I said?"

Aomine averted his gaze. "Pfft." He shrugged his shoulders and came back coolly. "I never hear anything you say, senpai."

"Tch!" Rin gave him a light, but firm punch in the arm. "Rude-ass punk!"

Aomine only grunted and massaged his arm; the small reaction was enough to leave both of his senpai in a little bit of a shock.

Sousuke sighed, giving a pat to Rin's back to bring him forward. "Come on, we gotta take the dogs home and buy groceries."

Aomine perked up. "Oh wait! Senpai, I do wanna hang out with you guys after all. At my place," he called out to them rather desperately. In a fit of the moment, he thought it was probably a good idea to bring some friends over. Nigou was a sociable dog after all – he might enjoy the company and forget about his homesickness. Or maybe Aomine was just too shy to directly ask for help from experienced dog owners. Either way, he felt helpless. He stuttered in embarrassment when his senpai stared at him with wide, wondering eyes. "And maybe…kinda…bring Cola and Chaco too?"

The couple's mouths hung open before they turned to look at each other then back at Aomine. "Uh…sure?"

The three made their way to the locker room to change out of their uniforms. Then they proceeded to the training ground to fetch Cola and Chaco. On their way home, the group stopped by the grocery store a few blocks from the police station. Sousuke tied the dogs' leashes to a pole and ordered them to sit, which they immediately obeyed. The three men entered the store, making their way to the meat section.

"When we get to your place, we're going to use your kitchen, if you don't mind," Sousuke mentioned.

"Oh yeah, whatever." Aomine shrugged.

He knew that whenever they would come over to his apartment with their dogs, they would bring along meat groceries. Not only to cook for them, but the dogs as well. Rin and Sousuke fed their canines natural meats and vegetables – they sure did treat them like dear family, Aomine thought to himself.

He grimaced – sometimes he wondered if his senpai treated their dogs better than they treated him.

"How about ground beef tonight, Sousuke?" Rin suggested as he picked up a pack. "Oh wait!" he walked over to the fish section and picked up a pack of trout filet. "We can grill trout! It's one of your favorite dishes, right?" He dumped a couple of packs into the cart.

"You're always thinking about me, huh, Rin?" Sousuke huskily said with a smile.

Rin's face erupted in a bright red hue as he pretended to ignore his partner. "Not really," he pouted. "I'm just thinking of the dogs. And you just happen to conveniently like trout."

"Right, right," The dark brunet leaned to the side to brush his arm with his partners'.

"Man, you guys don't care about the third wheel, do you?" Aomine groaned.

"Not when the third wheel is you," Sousuke retorted, earning an annoyed grunt from his kouhai.

"Hey."

A disgruntled voice suddenly sounded from behind the three. Aomine turned around and nearly choked.

"Kasamatsu?!"

The police captain stood before them in a dark-blue sweater and gray dress pants. He furrowed his brows further. "We're outside work, so I'm gonna let the honorifics slide this time." His expression relaxed when he turned his attention to Sousuke and Rin. "Hey. What are you guys eating tonight?"

"Oh, good evening, Captain," Rin casually waved. "We're eating trout tonight…sir."

"Mm, sounds good," Kasamatsu nodded in acknowledgment. "No need for politeness. We're off duty."

"That's a totally different tone! This is freaking favoritism! Favoritism!" Aomine comically pointed out, but was ignored.

"Kasamatsu-san, then," Sousuke greeted. "Say, if you're not doing anything tonight, would you like to come join us for dinner at Aomine's place?"

"Ah? Well, sure. If you both don't mind."

"What the hell? You should be asking if I don't mind!" Aomine growled, but was still ignored.

"The more, the merrier. Besides, it's Saturday." Rin showed a toothy grin.

Kasamatsu chuckled. "Alright, then. It'll get my mind off of some stupid things too."

"Hey! I'm not Tetsu! I have presence, you know?! Hey!"

In the end, Aomine gave up and reluctantly took his senpai, their dogs _and_ the Captain to his apartment. Not that he particularly minded, but it felt just a tad bit awkward having his team's captain there.

Upon arriving at Aomine's apartment door, the officer turned his keys into the handle. He spun around to give the group his signature scowl.

"J-Just letting you guys know, I'm taking care of Tetsu's dog. So he's in there, and kinda lonely…he'd appreciate some lively company…I guess."

"Kinda 'lonely'? Appreciate company?" Rin blinked. It was the first time he ever saw his kouhai remotely care about any living thing like that. He brushed that thought aside, however, at the mention of the husky. "Wait! Tetsuya-sensei's and Taiga's dog?" He grinned. "What, this will be the first time we meet him! Come on, open the door. Lemme see."

Aomine rolled his eyes. Slowly, he turned the keys and opened the door. And there sat Nigou, watching them with curious eyes. He titled his head to the side.

"Damn, that's the misdirection guy's dog? He's huge now." Kasamatsu was the first to comment. He then hung his head to the side in a grimace. "Crap…how old am I?"

Aomine stuck his tongue out at him. "An old fart with a matching grumpy-old-man attitude."

Kasamatsu round-house kicked him into the doorframe. "I'm just three years older than you, dumbass!"

"Augh!" Aomine rubbed his back and face in pain.

Nigou excitedly wagged his tail. His happy smile came back as he looked at every one of the visitors. Chaco and Cola stood in place, doing the same.

"Aw look! He's happy that Daiki got beaten! I like this dog already," Rin chuckled.

"Senpai, you jerk!" Aomine growled.

"Sorry for the disturbance." Sousuke entered into the gekkan, removing his shoes before he bent down to pet the husky. "What was his name again?"

"Nigou," Aomine began to explain. "Because he looks like Tetsu, so they call him 'Tetsuya Nigou (number 2)', or 'Nigou' for short."

"Ah, so that's the story," Kasamatsu placed his shoes at the gekkan and closed the apartment door behind him. "I never saw it, but now that you mention it, he really does look like the misdirection guy." He rolled his eyes with a sigh and muttered. "Ryouta even said so."

Everyone entered the living room to settle down. Cola and Chaco sniffed Nigou's snout; a second later, all three dogs wagged their tails in excitement. Aomine smiled in relief to see the husky with his usual energy; it left his two senpai gaping in shock for a moment, but their stomachs made a rumbling noise that quickly snapped them back to focus.

Almost like it was their own home, Rin and Sousuke went to the kitchen to start on dinner, leaving Kasamatsu and Aomine by themselves. The Captain crossed his arms over his chest, staring at his subordinate with a disgruntled expression. Aomine tried to remain as nonchalant as possible.

"So, 'sup with you lately?" He decided to make conversation anyway. "You seem more pissed these days. Is Kise flying away for another few weeks?"

"He's been gone for almost three weeks. But he'll be coming back for the resting period soon."

"Heh, you actually answered. Oh boy, I knew it, the Captain is lovesick," Aomine crossed his arms behind his head with a snicker.

"The hell would you know?" A light-pink coloured Kasamatsu's ears.

Just then, his phone rang in his pocket; before the first ring ended, he pulled his phone out and flipped it open to answer.

"Hey. What do you want?"

" _That's so mean, Yukio-senpai! Not even an ''I miss you'_?" Kise's whining voice channeled loudly from the other side.

"The hell I would miss you! Work is work; you're away, then you're away. I don't give a rat's ass." He comically grimaced. "And I told you to stop adding 'senpai'. We graduated highschool ages ago! Are you stupid? And besides!" He eyed Aomine out of his periphery in realization that he was listening. "A-And besides," a deeper blush grew on his face. "We're in _that_ kind of relationship."

" _Heh_ …?" Kise chuckled. " _What kind of relationship? Specify, specify-ssu_!"

"I'm going to kick you when you get back."

"Good evening, Ryouta-san!" Rin suddenly peeked out from the kitchen.

"It's been a while," Sousuke also peeked out to shout over, holding a skillet in one hand.

Kasamatsu chortled , "The guys said 'hi'. Did you hear? I'm putting you on speaker."

" _Matsuokacchi! Yamazakicchi_!" Kise's cheerful voice boomed through the phone. " _How are you both? Thanks for taking care of Yukio!_ "

"We're good. And not at all, it's the Captain who takes care of us," Sousuke answered.

Aomine grinned mischievously. "Yo, Kise, when are you coming back? Kasamatsu's like dying of lovesickness."

"Oi!" Kasamatsu snarled.

" _Yo, Aominecchi_!" Kise greeted before he laughed. " _Awww, is that true, Yukio-senpai? Don't worry! Your adorable Ryouta will be back to kiss an-"_

Kasamatsu pressed the 'end call' button. But seconds later, his phone rang again and he answered in a roar.

"What?!"

" _So mean! Don't hang up on me like that-ssu!"_ Kise whined _._

Kasamatsu scolded the blond through the phone as he walked off to another corner of the apartment for some privacy. The other three officers blinked – they swore it was their imagination. But Kasamatsu had a tiny, obscure smile hidden in his perpetual frown.

"Kise, come back soon," Aomine threw his head back on the couch. "We'd have an easy break if you can soothe Kasamatsu's premature andropausal symptoms."

"Do you have a death wish, kouhai?!" Rin clicked his tongue disbelievingly before he retreated into the kitchen with Sousuke.

* * *

Aboard Kiropengin flight 77N, Kise and Nagisa prepared for a landing in Tokyo. The pilot adjusted his headset microphone.

"Kiropengin 77N to Control: Requesting clearance to land." He calmly spoke into the microphone.

After a few seconds, the Control Tower answered. "Kiropengin 77N clear to land."

"Roger." Kise nodded to Nagisa.

Kise descended the plane a few more feet, then Nagisa pressed the switch for the landing gear. When the wheels bumped the runway and they came to a smooth stop, both men breathed a sigh.

"Well, that was bumpier than usual. Ryou-chan is losing his fo-" Nagisa jolted when he caught a glimpse of the captain. "R-R-R-Ryou-chan? Why are you crying?!"

Kise sniffled, only managing to whimper, "I miss Yukio-senpai!"

Nagisa coiled into his seat with a nervous smile, but he was somewhat relieved (and amazed) to see that Kise still managed to park the plane while bawling. Not that he was particularly worried – he could have taken over otherwise. When they came to a stop, Nagisa covered the palm of his hand over Kise's mouth, muffling the pilot's comical cries.

"Uh…welcome to Tokyo! Thank you for flying with Kiropengin Airlines; we wish you a wonderful day! Goodbye!" He shut off the intercom as quickly as he turned it on. He nearly tumbled onto the instrument panel, however, when Kise latched onto him. "Ah, there, there, Ryou-chan!" He chuckled and gave the taller man a few comforting pats to the back.

"Hazukicchi! Hazukicchi!" The pilot bawled even louder. "Yukio-senpai is so close but so far away!"

"Ah…un, he is, isn't he?" Nagisa sighed. It was true – they were doing round-trips from Iwatobi to Tokyo for the last few weeks. And even though they landed in Tokyo several times, they had no time to settle down at home. Not until they finished their hours and begin the resting period. The woes of being a pilot. But they both loved their jobs. Nagisa pulled away from the hug to firmly grip onto Kise's shoulders. "Don't worry, Ryou-chan! Fighto!" He cheerfully grinned. "Just a few more days! Then we can rest up for a while back here!"

Kise nodded while quietly whimpering. "Un! A few more days-ssu!"

Nagisa could not help but join in. Both men gave each other a supportive hug while they bawled together. "A few more days!"

The woes of being a pilot…

* * *

Back at Aomine's apartment, all four officers sat at the dinner table, finishing their meals; the three dogs dug into their bowls of food, eating side-by-side; Kasamatsu's phone kept vibrating, and every time he opened it to check the text messages, his face would relax before it turned back to the usual scowl when he closed his phone.

"So this is what a cured lovesick puppy looks like," Aomine commented.

"Ah? You said something?" Kasamatsu glared at him.

Aomine forced a nonchalant face when he whipped his head back to focus on his food. "Nothing."

Rin looked over to Nigou's bowl. "Damn, that's some top-grade kibble he's eating," he pointed to the husky's food. "It's almost one notch below the natural meats and veggies. You're really spoiling the little fella, are you?"

Aomine shrugged. "Tetsu left me that food for him."

"You should get kibble like that for your future K-9 companion," Rin suggested with a flick of his chopsticks. "Treat them like they're your treasured friend. Like how Tetsuya-sensei and Taiga do it."

"I'm already following his instructions." Aomine groaned. "The dog's a handful, but I can handle it. Except maybe for the affection part." He scowled. "I don't really have a super soft spot for cute animals like Tetsu."

"I beg to differ," Sousuke muttered in between bites. "You invited us over with the dogs so that Nigou won't feel so lonely, right?"

"Huh-wha?" Aomine grimaced at his senpai almost as if that was the most repulsive comment he had ever heard.

"You never make the initiative to invite us over, so…"Sousuke reasoned with a shrug.

Aomine's frown deepened – no, no, no. He did not care about animals. The only reason why he remotely cared about Nigou was because he was Kuroko's dog. It was his sense of responsibility that made him go to the trouble of all this, he tried to reason with himself. Not because he fancied the dog – not at all.

"Pfft," He scoffed, but his face clearly showed a tint of red. "It's a change of pace, why not? I leave the cooking to you guys when you come over, anyway." He smirked at his own 'clever' retort. "Free meal and labour – can't say no to that."

Rin snickered, showing his rows of sharp teeth. "Oh man, the reasoning of a tsundere."

"It is NOT, senpai," Aomine grumbled irritably as he lazily pouted at the magenta-haired man.

"It's a good thing, though. You have to learn to be warm to your K-9 companion while being firm for training." Kasamatsu commented. "Use this time to get a feel for taking care of a dog yourself. Of course, we'd be here to guide you."

Aomine stared at the Captain blankly. "That's awfully nice of you all of a sudden."

Kasamatsu grumbled. "You're my damn kouhai no matter how crappy you are. It's my job to mould you into a suitable K-9 officer."

The former Toō ace was taken aback, though his eyebrows pulled his face into a cynical expression a second later. "See, senpai? _This_ is tsundere."

"I'll beat the living daylights out of you!"

Rin and Sousuke tuned out the argument while they continued their meal. The three dogs looked up briefly from their food before dunking their heads back down into their bowls. The liveliness kept Nigou's mind busy; after he finished his meal, he pasted himself next to Aomine's legs, resting his chin on the officer's lap. Aomine absentmindedly pet him back gently.

* * *

"Tch. This is clearly harassment."

Aomine grumbled the third time as he rinsed the stacks of lathered dishes in the sink. After the Captain and his senpai left with Cola and Chaco, they bid him and Nigou farewell, leaving all the cleaning behind for him to do. But, he shrugged it off and took it as a trade-off for all the dog-caring advice they had given him. He should last the next two days.

The officer looked down at his side where Nigou sat calmly with a batting tail. He felt ridiculous talking to something that did not understand much of anything he said. Yet he could not help voicing his thoughts to the husky. Possibly the Captain's advice to be warmer to a canine companion urged him to do it, or so he thought.

"Say, listen up," he muttered shyly. "I kinda got this secret." He peeked out of the corner of his eye to see that Nigou stared back with a goofy smile. He took it that the husky was listening intently, so he continued. "So, I liked someone before. We used to hang out and everything back in my school days, but I never said anything. Then we just parted ways, and honestly, I kind of regret it. I missed my chance." He sighed through his nose. "In the end, I still couldn't say anything even when we met up again. Then I had to watch that person get taken away by someone else."

Nigou whimpered and snuggled into a bundle at Aomine's feet. The officer only chuckled.

"Oh well." He briefly bent down to pet the husky. "No turning back. I'm glad, I guess. 'Cause that person looks really happy now with the love of their life, huh?"

Meanwhile in Haruka's old home in Iwatobi, the two couples sat together at the dinner table, enjoying their idle chatter when all of a sudden…

"Achoo!" Kuroko sneezed in Kagami's direction.

"Ugh! This was like the fifth time in the span of a minute. Cover up when you sneeze!" Kagami grimaced as he aired out the hem of his shirt in an attempt to shake away the germs. He reached over to pull a tissue out of the box at the end of the table and held it out to Kuroko's face. "Are you getting sick?"

The bluenet blew his nose into the tissue. "No, I just suddenly felt this odd shiver and then I felt like sneezing before I had the time to react. I'm sorry."

Haruka released a quiet chuckle. "Still flirting to this day," he teased with Makoto's warm chortle that followed.

Kuroko's eyes only widened with a growing dash of pink that coloured his pale cheeks; Kagami turned red, stuttering until he looked away with a defeated and embarrassed groan.

"But the sneezing…is it dust or allergies?" Makoto wondered aloud.

"No, I don't believe it is any of those." Kuroko gaped at the brunet.

"Someone is talking about you," Haruka reasoned stoically.

"Haru," Makoto chortled, "Let's not get superstitious."

Kuroko stared blankly into the distance, pondering about what Haruka had said. Not before long, his nose wiggled again.

"Achoo!" He sniffled, getting annoyed with whatever caused his sneezing streak. "I wonder."

* * *

Author's note: Just a little bonus info I added if anyone caught onto it; solely for the purpose of Aomine bonding with Nigou – not going to affect any of the couples. All of these pairs will remain super duper solid! Yeah! It's nice to see Aomine opening up, huh? I vote that he'll be a successful K-9 officer!

1\. Sneezing: It's a common superstition in Asian culture that when someone is talking about you, you sneeze. A lot of anime show this too.

2\. Pilots: I did some brief research on the overall job. So apparently pilots fly a route back and forth for some time before they have to take some time off to rest. And they do this on intervals.


	11. Ch 8: Making Up For Lost Chances

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : I would like to start off with an apology and explanation of my tardiness in updates to all you wonderful readers and BL supporters! Long story short, the company I worked at became severely understaffed 7 months ago. But I need the experience, so I stayed regardless of the 3-person workload that was forced upon me. I eventually spiraled into depression, approached my director about it; he laughed at me. The next day, I submitted my resignation letter and bid them good riddance! So, after some self-recovery, I'm finally writing again! Thank you all for your patience; your endless support and love are greatly appreciated!

 **Warnings** : Boy x boy, BL pairings. If you read up to this chapter, please do not say that I did not warn you beforehand. Hahaha!

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Making Up For Lost Chances**

The Saturday morning at Iwatobi was bright and sunny with a few clouds scattered across the bright blue canvas high above. Small towns had such fresh air. Kagami's lungs opened up to a refreshing breath as he yawned. Stretching his limbs across the futon, he flinched a little when his shoulder made a protesting cracking sound. He had forgotten about his injury, though he was steadily recovering,

"Mm?" He muttered sleepily when he felt a soft and warm hand massage his recovering shoulder. He took a peek from one open eye, meeting the sight of his husband drowsily caressing him.

"What are you doing?" He asked the bluenet.

Kuroko's hand dropped onto the sheets. "Physiotherapy massage." He managed to simply utter through a sleepy voice. "You had a pained grunt just now. I thought I'd massage it away..."

Kagami snickered – his phantom prodigy was just too adorable. "Do it properly if you're gonna help me with Physio." He teased.

Kuroko then rolled himself over to drowsily sit up. With a few blinks, he cleared his blurry vision and reached over to gently knead Kagami's shoulder. "How's this?"

He sighed in reply. "Mm...you know, you have really soft hands for a guy."

Kuroko raised a slightly annoyed brow at that. "Is there a problem?"

Kagami shifted to lay flat on his back as he took hold of the other man's hand and planted a gentle kiss on the back. "Don't be mad, Tetsuya. It was a compliment." He winked, and smirked when Kuroko blushed profusely in return. "So, we're here in Iwatobi for our honeymoon…kinda; what do you wanna start doing today?"

"First off, doing the morning routine," Kuroko stated flatly, standing up from the futon. But he toppled back onto the soft sheets when his husband reeled him in with one arm.

"By morning routine, you mean this?" The redhead puckered his lips, but only kissed thin air as the bluenet slipped away from him. He pouted with a whine, "Damn it all. Don't use misdirection on me."

"I don't have your ravenous energy in the morning, Kagami-kun." The sixth prodigy stated while running a hand through his own messy, powder-blue bed hair.

"Come back..." Kagami ordered playfully with a flat look, "…to bed."

"No." Kuroko answered with an even flatter look.

The couple watched each other in stillness until Kagami leapt forward in a failed attempt to catch Kuroko. They darted around the room with the shorter man chuckling lightly every time he whirled away from the other's grasps. It was not before long that Kuroko weaved around to quickly dodge his husband's arm and slide the guest bedroom door open. In a matter of seconds, however, the bluenet stumbled as he was pulled backwards onto Kagami's chest.

"Gotcha," the redhead snickered before he and his husband broke out in quiet chuckles. "So, morning routine, right? Let's do this!" He smacked his lips and puckered them when he dove down slowly towards Kuroko.

"Kagami-kun!" The bluenet airily laughed, struggling to dodge from the redhead's kisses.

"Ahem, this lovey-dovey in the morning?"

The younger couple turned their attention forward, finding Makoto and Haruka with the white kitten in his arms.

Kagami bashfully loosened his arms around the shorter man. "Ah, good morning, Makoto-senpai, Haruka-san."

"Good morning," Kuroko followed up, trying his best to look casual.

"'Morning," Haruka returned the greeting, "We're going to take this little fellow to the vet." His eyes exchanged between the younger two. "Feel free to go out for some alone time."

"Un! There's lots to see here in Iwatobi," Makoto jumped in. "Besides, aren't you both somewhat on your honeymoon?"

That's right…the younger couple looked at each other with dumbfounded stares. They had a lot to do and explore, but they were still behind schedule for breakfast.

"Yes we are, senpai!" Kagami bowed briefly. "We will get ready and go our separate ways for the day."

Makoto smiled sheepishly. "Tetsuya-kun already left."

"Euh?" Kagami looked around, catching sight of his phantom outside the bathroom with a towel slung over his shoulder. "Hey! Tetsuya!" He roared as he ran to the washroom, his voice boomed across the corridors. "I should hug onto you all day to keep you from using misdirection, huh?!"

"Oh my, do you love me that much, Kagami-kun?"

"You bet I do!"

"…Tch."

"Pfft! Hahaha! What's with that face?"

The older couple looked at each other with a light chortle. The lively basketball duo was really something. The excitement lined the tones of their voices as they prepared for the rest of the day.

* * *

After shutting the door behind them, the younger couple made their way down the stone steps towards the road that brought them to an even more rural part of the town. Thick woods lined the side of their path; the serene sounds of the rustling trees triggered a reminder of where the bluenet wanted to visit in Iwatobi. That is, until he was interrupted.

"So, where to next?" Kagami brushed his shoulder affectionately against Kuroko's, shooting a toothy grin at him. "Ah, hm..." He pondered for a moment. "Maybe we can actually find a Maji Burger here..."

Kuroko kept his eyes forward with a flat look. "Even if there was a Maji Burger in Iwatobi, I would not even consider going."

"Why not?" The redhead was genuinely wondering, which somewhat annoyed the bluenet.

"First of all, we just ate breakfast. Secondly, we're here in a rural town; at least consider some traditional foods."

"Hah. Being all tourist-y, are you?"

"Says the biggest tourist of us all." Kuroko retorted flatly, ignoring his husband's annoyed grunt as he remembered where he wanted to visit. "Let's go pay our respects to the _kami_."

"Huh?" Kagami raised a brow at him, then looked forward to meet the view of a large _torii_ reaching far up to the top of the trees. "A shrine gate?"

Kuroko lowered his head to give a respectful bow to the gate, reaching a hand up to grasp onto the collar of Kagami's shirt at the same time. "Bow," he ordered as he forcefully pulled the taller man down.

"Uwah!" The redhead grunted in surprise as he stumbled and bent over awkwardly. "The hell?! Just tell me to do so!" He growled comically, brushing away the bluenet's hand.

Kuroko went behind him, gently pushing him forward and guiding him to the side path of the _torii_. "Please proceed onwards, and don't walk in the middle path – it's for the _kami_ only."

"Hey, are you listening?"

"Words do not register fast enough in your brain, Kagami-kun, so it is best that I show you like this," Kuroko explained while he returned to walking beside the taller man. Just when he heard the redhead start to retort, he scooped their hands together and lead him up the steps to the shrine. "We should say some prayers for Makoto-san."

Completely steered away from his snarky retort, Kagami's face brightened at the suggestion. Even more so, he stared at their linked hands with a goofy smile. "Un," He tightened his grip, "Sounds like a good idea."

The younger couple had reached the _temizuya_ when they climbed past the top of the last steps. They visited shrines at the beginning of each new year, yet Kagami's foreigner tendencies seemed to kick in every time. So Kuroko found himself showing the former Seirin ace the proper method of purifying their hands and mouths at the _temizuya_. After placing the ladles back onto the edge of the water-filled basin, the two men proceeded into the shrine grounds.

When they reached the offertory box, they each threw in 5 yen. Kuroko shook the rope leading up to the hanging bell that chimed its clear tune. Both men clapped their hands twice and bowed simultaneously, sending their prayers to the _kami_ who have been called down to hear them.

Kuroko peeked out from the corner of his eye. "Now it's all up to Makoto-san."

"Heh, yeah," Kagami grinned, and he snorted when a reminiscent thought came to mind. "You know, I usually ask for the same thing every time I go to a shrine to pray with you."

"Oh?" The bluenet blinked curiously. "And what is that?"

Kagami began to bashfully rub the back of his neck, of which Kuroko relentlessly stared at him for an answer. It must be something cute, thought the shorter man, since the redhead was blushing profusely; he wanted to hear it. So after a few more moments of being egged on by his husband, Kagami sheepishly muttered.

"To...play basketball with you more often."

Kuroko's face brightened. It was true – work and everyday life took away the time to meet with old friends for basketball. He felt the sudden nostalgia to feel the court under his shoes and the sound of the ball being dunked. The most he missed was coordinating things like an alley-oop with his Seirin ace, now husband. The bond they shared was even more special as they aged.

"Well, literally play basketball with you more often," Kagami showed a grin that tilted into a perverted smile, "And you know? 'Shoot hoops' with you more often," He made quotation marks with his fingers, "if you know what I mean."

"Tch. Dirty old man." Kuroko lightly elbowed him in the abdomen, flustering just as much as the taller man who was bent over in snorts and laughter. "How could you turn that into-? Anyway, such impure thoughts – don't bring them to a shrine." He reprimanded him calmly with a wag of his forefinger.

A moment after averting their gazes, both men chortled and proceeded to the _omamori_ stands. Several protective amulets were spread across the tables, each with different colours and embroidered designs. Kagami nonchalantly eyed the stands, jumping a little when Kuroko suddenly appeared before him with a small paper bag held out in front of him.

"I bought you one," the bluenet uttered with his usual monotone voice.

"Seriously?" the taller man raised a brow. He grabbed the bag and pulled out the _omamori_. "Are you slowly turning into Midorima, or what?" His mouth hung a little when he read the gold, embroidered characters on the powder-blue amulet, "Health and safety."

Kuroko lunged forward to hug onto his husband. "Keep it on you at all times until the year is over," he uttered with tinges of pink on the tips of his ears.

Kagami was sure that the amulet would have been bought for naught because he felt like he was about to suffer a heart attack. His chest felt warm and tingly; much like the feeling he had on his first dates with Kuroko right before they kissed. And surely, with no one else on the shrine grounds, he wrapped an arm around Kuroko to pull him upwards and dove down for a loving kiss. The fresh and pure winds of the shrine breezed by them as if celebrating their strong years together – there was nothing better than sealing their bond like this. When they broke away from their kiss, they left the shrine grounds, hand-in-hand, continuing on their honeymoon.

* * *

"Kagami-kun, as time passes, you're becoming more of a nosy old man," Kuroko commented stoically while he hid behind a mailbox with the taller man.

"Shut up!" Kagami hissed. "You're here too, aren't you?"

The younger couple had spotted Makoto and Haruka shortly after they left the shrine. Reluctantly, Kuroko followed along as Kagami decided for the both of them that they would trail behind the older couple.

"Shouldn't we be leaving them some space?" The bluenet wondered.

"Do you think senpai is gonna do it today?" Kagami absentmindedly asked, ignoring his husband's question as he peeked out from the side of the mailbox that barely hid him. "I'm kind of curious about how it will go if he does it today."

Kuroko sighed. He peeked out from above Kagami's dark red highlights, resting his chin on the spiky strands. "Makoto-san's shoulders are not as tensed. He is not going to propose to Haruka-san today."

"Hrm? Aw…senpai is taking too long." The taller man pouted.

Kuroko tilted his head to the side questioningly. "You seem rather disappointed for someone in the third perspective."

Kagami looked upwards to stare at Kuroko with an earnest look. "Seeing senpai like this kinda reminds me of when I was making preparations to propose to you." he bashfully looked away. "Almost like I'm reliving that special time."

Kuroko blinked, fixating his gaze on his husband. He accidentally let out a chuckle which he quickly muffled with the back of his hand. Cheeks somewhat pinked, he tried his best to shift back into a stoic expression as he locked his eyes with his husband's confused stare.

"What?" Kagami asked.

"It's nothing," Kuroko looked away, taking a silent breath to calm his flustering cheeks. "I do wonder how Haruka-san would react, though."

"Huh. Haruka-san never shows big smiles or anything like that." Kagami tilted his head forward again and stroked his chin in thought. "I wanna know." He pumped his fist in determination before dashing behind the next nearest tree with Kuroko following.

"Why are we still following?" the bluenet asked with a tad bit of annoyance lining his voice.

Haruka's pace slowed when he turned around briefly to stare at the tree. But Makoto scooped an arm around his shoulder to bring him facing forward again.

"I thought I saw Taiga-kun." The shorter man muttered.

"Huh?" Makoto turned his head slightly to peek out of his periphery and indeed saw a tuft of spiky, dark-red hair pointing out from behind the tree trunk. He sighed before taking a deep breath. In a loud, reprimanding voice, he spoke calmly, "Taiga-kun should be on his honeymoon elsewhere around town with Tetsuya-kun. I don't think he should be here."

Kagami jolted, squeezing his sides inwards to hide himself more. "Ah, dammit," he groaned silently.

"It's a shame that your presence is so big, Kagami-kun."

"Shut up, Tetsuya." The redhead whispered in an embarrassed pout.

Haruka raised a brow at his partner. "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Makoto chirped. "I'm just saying that Taiga-kun and Tetsuya-kun should be focusing on their honeymoon elsewhere in town and not be here."

With one last skeptical look, Haruka grunted in acknowledgement and faced forward again. Makoto's heart rate was still at an anxious pace. Silently, he wished that those youngsters behind the tree would behave themselves. The day was about the basketball duo after all, not the swimming duo.

* * *

The younger couple reluctantly (Kagami mostly) left after being subtly discovered for stalking the older couple. So, they wandered around some more, snapping self-portraits with the scenery behind them. They eventually found themselves at a convenience store that was on-looking the early evening sea. They pardoned their intrusion to the old gentleman at the counter as they entered. The other customers gave Kagami questioning glances while he seemed to be asking himself what ice cream he wanted. But the store owner smiled at both of the men when they approached the counter.

Kuroko only exchanged a brief stare with the store owner before following Kagami outside.

Both men sat on the bench out next to the entrance. The small town atmosphere breezed through them and chimed a refreshing air like the glass wind bell that hung above them.

Though, it did not stop them from falling back into the habit of checking their phones. Kuroko pulled his phone out, surfing through the messages while they rested. The first text attached a picture of Nigou sitting between Cola and Chaco; all three dogs hung their tongues out in smiles.

 _From: Aomine-kun_

 _Your dog is fine. Just saying. Got some friends over – senpai's K-9 dogs._

"Wow, Nigou's actually happy. See? You didn't need to worry." Kagami commented after he peeked over his husband's shoulder. He lazily brushed his thumb over his own messages. "I got a few texts too…"

 _From: Rin-san_

 _You! Where do you buy your kibble?!_

 _From: Takao_

 _Did you remember your lucky item today?! Shin-chan is going to do a checkup on you in two seconds. Wwww_

 _From: Midorima_

 _How's your shoulder? Don't forget your exercises. Leo's lucky item today is curry and lucky colour is green…you should eat green curry._

Kagami comically glared at his phone, typing a reply message that he snarled aloud. "Shoulder is fine. Doing all exercises. NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!"

A second later, Kuroko's phone beeped. "Midorima-kun texted me."

The redhead grimaced. "What'd he say?"

Kuroko stared at the screen. "…Make green curry for your husband tonight. Cooking is your lucky activity today; and you'll peer into the happy future too."

"He won't let this go, will he?!" Kagami snarled. "Sheesh, he's a walking fortune cookie."

Both men sighed, finally putting their phones away and unwrapping their ice cream bars which were light-blue, sea-salt-flavoured with a white vanilla cream center. Kagami chomped down his ice cream in a few bites, revealing the words "winner" on the top of the wooden stick. It only took him an excited growl and two seconds for him to spring up from his seat and dash into the store for a free one.

"Oji-san! I won! I'll take this one!" He handed the winning popsicle stick to the store owner and proudly showed the second sea-salt ice cream in his grasp. When he received a flat look from the store owner, he stuttered before adding, "Uh…please!"

The store owner let out a small smile. He gently flipped his short, dark gray hair to the side as he took the winning popsicle stick. "Congratulations." He uttered.

Kagami could not help but squint at the old gentleman's blue eyes that were crisp and clear despite being cushioned by somewhat wrinkled dark circles under. He was disrupted, however, when the store owner redirected his line of sight down towards whatever was next to Kagami.

Kuroko had held out a winning popsicle stick as well. "Oji-san, I won too."

"AHH!" Kagami jumped.

"I will also take the same ice cream, please." Kuroko showed the wrapped sea-salt vanilla bar in his other hand.

The store owner nodded curtly, uttering a brief, "Congratulations."

"Euh? Oji-san, you can see him?" Kagami pointed rudely back and forth between his husband and the store owner.

"I can see him clearly," the older gentleman explained. He tapped the corner of his own eyelid. "Do not underestimate the elderly eyesight that has gained wisdom through the ages." He then added with a tiny smirk, "Besides, I would not overlook such eyes as blue as the waters around Panari Island."

At that, Kagami and Kuroko hung their mouths agape. The redhead proceeded to squint at the store owner again. Just when he was about to say something, he was interrupted.

"Oh! What a special day it is to have two winners," Another old gentleman wearing a green apron approached the counter. "From the day we both opened this store, this is the first time we had two winners at the same time," he explained in a slightly hoarse yet cheerful voice. As he gave a smile to the young couple, his green eyes also seemed to have quirked up into a smile.

Kuroko and Kagami stared blankly; their minds slightly froze while their ice cream began to melt in a daydreaming time warp they found themselves seemingly stuck in.

"Better eat your well-earned ice cream before it melts." The green-eyed store owner chuckled.

"Uh, yes sir!" Kagami straightened himself subconsciously, then bowed briefly. "I mean, yes! Thank you very much! I guess we'll…erm…take our leave." He took another bow at both of the older gentlemen before he escorted his husband out the door.

The young couple turned around, catching glimpses of the store owners smiling at them. When they were further down the road, Kagami kept turning around to stare at the store itself.

"Is it…? Were they…?" Kagami raised his thick brow in disbelief.

"They seem to be happily retired," Kuroko commented while eating his bar. "Reassuring, isn't it?"

Kagami bit down on his own ice cream. "It was either a freaky coincidence, or we've both gone crazy for two seconds," he muttered to himself.

"I wonder if we would be something like that when we are old," the shorter man bumped his shoulder against the redhead's side.

Kagami's reflex triggered to wrap an arm around Kuroko's shoulders; it briefly made him forget about the odd experience. "I'm sure we'd be something like that. I'll make it happen." He exchanged gazes with his partner, holding out his ice cream bar. "Promise," he uttered reassuringly, to which Kuroko smiled and tapped his bar with Kagami's like a toasting of two glasses.

The motion cracked the taller man's ice cream bar enough to start sliding off. In a hurry, Kagami swooped it whole into his mouth and pulled out the cleanly unsheathed popsicle stick. The word "winner" was written at the top.

"See? Even the ice cream agrees with me!" He laughed. "Weird time-warp store or not, I'm going t-"

When he turned around, his face comically paled and Kuroko stared blankly in the same direction to the empty roads and grasslands in the distance. The store was nowhere to be found.

Both men sped-walked back towards Haruka's old home, their skin broke out in goosebumps. Kuroko continued eating his ice cream bar regardless; when he finished it and showed the wooden stick to Kagami, the redhead shrieked and dashed ahead. Poor Kagami would probably not look at winning popsicle sticks the same way again.

* * *

Kagami and Kuroko jogged up the steps of the hill back to Haruka's old home. Right before they went back inside, the couple stopped to drink in the evening view of the ocean's horizon (it helped calm Kagami after the odd spiritual encounter). Everything looked small down below and the vast sea stretched far.

"Oh man, that was a crazy day," The redhead sighed.

"There, there, Kagami-kun," Kuroko lazily patted his husband's back. "We can claim our two free ice creams at another store."

"Heck no!" The taller man comically roared. "I'm boycotting ice cream for a while."

With a sigh, the two men took another moment for themselves. Kagami's spur-of-the-moment antics never really changed much as he suddenly perked up.

"Say, Kuroko," he began.

"Hm?"

"Remember Coach Aida made us yell out our goals on the school roof?" The former Seirin ace had a cunning smirk on his face.

Kuroko was not sure where his husband was going with this. "...Yes?" He asked a little hesitantly.

"Well, I pretty much had the whole 'number one in Japan' thing down at one point. So I should make a new one, right?" He stepped up to the edge of the hill, one hand on his hip and the other cupped on the side of his cheek like a megaphone. He proclaimed in a roar, "Kagami Taiga – Fireman; First Class! I will be Kuroko Tetsuya's one and only light this life, the next, and every other life after that!"

Kuroko's eyes widened when the resonance of Kagami's voice spread across the town. His face flustered; his chest sparked; and whatever feeling it was, it held his voice in his throat. He stared at his husband's confident grin – a sight that reassured him all these years.

With a smile, he joined Kagami at the edge of the hill, cupping his hands around his mouth into a megaphone. "Kuroko Tetsuya – Kindergarten teacher! I will be Kagami Taiga's one and only shadow this life, the next life, and every other life after that!"

The former sixth prodigy's voice echoed across, surprisingly bright and resounding in presence. Both men's proclamations mixed in the wind. They turned to gaze upon each other as if they had just sealed their vows at the altar. Kagami held his arms wide open to welcome the bluenet into his embrace.

"I love you, Tetsuya _,_ " he said in a husky voice.

Kuroko smiled, with an audible chuckle. "I love you too..." He stepped forward shyly, stuttering for the first time in ages. "T...Ta...Ta..."

"'Ta'?" Kagami tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Ta...Tai..." Kuroko's face was bright red as he struggled with his words. With every ounce of his will, he mustered up enough courage to finish. "...Taiga."

Kagami's brain froze, and so did the rest of his body. His husband's voice may have been soft-spoken and overshadowed by everything, but it was clear. He was replaying it over and over in his head, registering that Kuroko had finally called him by his first name. Nothing came out of his mouth except for a small, shocked grunt.

Kuroko stared blankly at him before his face puffed in a deep shade of red. "I knew it; it sounds too foreign to me after all." He covered his face in the palms of his hands.

"Too foreign?!" Kagami blinked unbelievingly. "No, no, no! It's good! We're married, so 'Taiga'...you should call me 'Taiga'!" He frantically waved his hands in front of him, hoping to hear his first name again.

"No, 'Kagami-kun' sounds more endearing after all."

"At least 'Taiga-kun', then!" The redhead paused to reflect for a moment; he grimaced. "Ugh. No, no. Drop the '-kun'. It sounds super cute when you call me by my first name!"

"I refuse."

"I want it as an early birthday gift then!"

"You're too greedy."

The redhead formed the best pout he could and whimpered, "But I love you, Tetsuya."

Kuroko stoically watched him. "And I love you too," he said, before adding, "Kagami-kun."

"Oh, come on!"

Not far from the bickering couple, Makoto and Haruka leaned against the doorway to the house. Much like when they were watching over their silly kouhai in highschool, they chortled at the sight. Haruka took out his own camera and aimed it steadily. When he found the right moment, he pressed the shutter. On the tiny screen, Kagami and Kuroko's candid smiles lit up the photo, their foreheads pressed against each other's and the wedding rings gleaming. Finally, they could frame a honeymoon photo and add it to their collection on the shelves.

* * *

While Makoto and Kagami sat at the dinner table, Haruka and Kuroko returned from the kitchen, placing all the warm dishes on the coasters that were laid out. When everyone sat down, they announced a "let's eat!" and lifted their chopsticks. Kuroko lifted the cover from one of the pots, revealing green curry that released a generous amount of warm steam.

"Uwah! My favorite! Thank you Haru," Makoto chirped.

Haruka smiled. "This one was made by Tetsuya-kun."

"Heeh?" The brunet beamed in wonder, exchanging looks with Kagami.

"You actually listened to Midorima's Oha Asa advice?" The redhead comically grimaced at his husband.

"He did correctly say that we would peer into the happy future," Kuroko replied matter-of-factly, scooping the green curry onto his bowl of rice. "Besides, Midorima-kun just reminded me that I also wanted to learn this dish from Haruka-san."

The older couple listened in while absentmindedly digging into their bowls. Makoto's eyes darted back and forth between the basketball duo.

"Did Dr. Midorima try to promote Oha Asa again?" He asked sheepishly.

"He never stops, even when we're on vacation," Kagami rolled his eyes. "Oh!" He suddenly perked up. "Speaking of which, we saw the weirdest thing today. There was a convenience store that was owned by an old couple that…" He awkwardly paused to stare at the older couple who waited for him to continue.

"…That?" Haruka beckoned with a raised brow.

Kagami reflected on his words for a bit, then continued, "…An old couple that _resembled_ senpai and Haruka-san."

"Really?" Makoto listened intently. "How did you know that they were a couple?" He asked.

"They were wearing matching rings," Kagami managed to explain through his chewing. He pointed his chopstick at his senpai's left hand and subtly winked. "On their ring fingers."

"Ah-" Makoto's voice caught in his throat. His heart skipped a beat as he glanced at Haruka whose face was tinted in salmon-pink and nearly hidden in his bowl.

Kagami snickered with a quiet "ow!" that followed after his shin was gently kicked by Makoto from across, under the table. The brunet was subtly reminded that his plans needed to be set in motion; his stomach churned a little.

"Are you okay, Makoto?" Haruka stared at him straight in the eye. "You look a little pale."

"Heh? No, no, I'm fine. Why?" Makoto tensed; he could not look away from his partner's probing stare. It was only a matter of seconds before he was found out. Sometimes the connection that he shared with Haruka was not so convenient when it came to hiding surprises.

The sous-chef wore a skeptical look. "What are you hi-?"

"Achoo!"

Kuroko had turned away to sneeze into the inside of his elbow. Though his voice was muffled, it was loud enough to redirect everyone's attention to him.

He sniffled. "Excuse me. Ah…" He turned away fast. "Achoo!"

"Tetsuya-kun, I'll get you a tissue." Haruka stood up and made his way to the living room.

When his partner was far enough, Makoto leaned over the table to whisper, "Nice timing, Tetsuya-kun! The master of misdirection, indeed!"

"Yeah, Haruka-san looked like he was going to stare senpai down into confession." Kagami breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm not faking it." Kuroko wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "My nose suddenly got itchy."

"…Eh?"

"Faking what?" Haruka returned to the dining table with a box of tissues; he gave everyone a flat yet confused look.

"Achoo!"

"Ahh! Poor Tetsuya-kun!"

"Here, grab a tissue!"

Makoto began to sweat through his shirt. Kagami and Kuroko can barely hold out in keeping the surprise. There were only less than two days to set his preparations; he needed to muster up the courage and do it.

* * *

A/N: Uoh! You can do it, Makoto! Hahaha, thank you everyone for your support on this story so far. Next chapter will be another Makoto x Haruka-centric chapter. Lemme hear y'all fangirl squeal! Kyaaaaaaa! No worries, there are more chapters to come!

(1) Kami: Deities or gods.

(2) Torii: The large red gate that signifies the entrance to a shrine. Traditionally, people bow to it before entering to show respect. As mentioned by Kuroko, people do not walk through directly by the middle path because that is the path of the kami.

(3) Temizuya: A large water-filled basin with several ladles near the main entrance of the shrine. People rinse their mouths and wash their hands here to purify themselves before entering the shrine.

(4) Omamori: Amulets that are said to provide various forms of protection. Google image search for visuals; they are very pretty!

(5) Wwww: For those who are unfamiliar with the texting language in Japan, 'wwww', or however many 'w' you would like to put, is the equivalent to 'LOL'. It's like a smiling kitty face; usually at least two are shown like this 'ww', but you can put more to show how much you are laughing. Wwwwwww

(6) Kagami freaking out: Apparently, Kagami is terrified of ghosts. I believe it was the KnB wiki trivia that I read it from? So anything spiritual or unexplainable (with the X-Files feel) would freak him out. Makes for a good laugh regardless. Hahaha!

(7) Oji-san: This is a Japanese term used to address elderly men. You can call your grandfather 'oji-san' or even an elderly man who you do not know (Almost like we say 'hello, mister'). Like Kagami and Kuroko who address the store owner as 'oji-san' because they do not know him. Or do they? HEH!


	12. Ch 9: A New Fond Memory

**Future Basket**

 **A/N** : This one took a bit of rewriting to fit everything. I kind of felt like Makoto during the writing process; you'll see why. Haha!

Like I mentioned to AnimeFreak168, you are welcome to promote/share this story elsewhere, but **PLEASE PUT A LINK to this original story and credit me by indicating my pen name (Onion Jester).** Just do **NOT** repost this story under any other name and leave out the credits to me. That is stealing and not nice. If you are unsure, just ask me! =) Much appreciated!

* * *

 **Chapter 9: A New Fond Memory**

The running water sounded in the kitchen as Haruka rinsed the dishes. The white kitten weaved around his ankles affectionately while he was lost in a daydream, his hands wiping the plates under the tap by sheer muscle memory. It was not until Kagami came in with a big grin, offering to help with the dishes that he broke away from his thoughts.

"You really don't have to, Taiga-kun," Haruka insisted, though he passed a drying cloth to the redhead anyway who took it with a snort.

"Even if I didn't want to, Tetsuya would have ignite-passed me in the face and told me to come back to help you," He chuckled.

The sous-chef glanced at him curiously. "Ignite pass?"

"Ah, one of Tetsuya's basketball-passing tricks. He must have incorporated it into martial arts 'cause it actually hurts when his palm lands," The former Seirin ace explained with a laugh that only faded out awkwardly when the other man did not react at all. He began to feel pressured to start another conversation as the silence grew with every plate that he dried. "Speaking of Tetsuya, his cooking skills improved a lot. Thanks for looking out for him and giving these lessons for free."

Haruka nonchalantly continued rinsing the dishes, muttering, "It's fine." Before he shrugged and added, "I'm not really giving him the lessons for free, though."

Kagami glanced at him, pausing to take the next plate to dry. "...No?" He asked curiously.

Haruka suddenly turned to face him with a bit of enthusiasm in his perpetually monotone voice. "It is like spending the day with a personified body of pristine, clear water!" He marveled with shimmering eyes. "What a bargain for just a few cooking lessons!"

"So he's a walking/talking pool to you?!" The redhead comically growled with a raised brow. What a weird friendship that was, he thought to himself.

"Not a pool. A _sea_ ," Haruka deadpanned.

Kagami nearly fell over. " _He seriously answered_!" He thought to himself disbelievingly before sighing it off. "Kinda makes me wonder, though. If Haruka-san likes water... _this_ much," He emphasized with a brief widening of his eyes, "I thought you'd pick someone who resembles water to be your partner. So...why Makoto-senpai?" He followed with a stutter and added for politeness, "May I ask?"

Haruka blinked, a little taken aback by the question. 'Why Makoto?" – it was like asking a person why they felt thirsty. It was an obvious choice he had made when he chose Makoto. Haruka did not know how to explain it to Kagami other than returning the offer.

He held a stare of seriousness. "Why Tetsuya-kun?"

"Geh!" Kagami jolted suddenly, enough to have the plate in his hands nearly slip.

The question was as blunt as it was fast. He had to process it over in his brain before he could react to answer. But all that came out was an uncertain "Euuuhh…"

Haruka turned off the tap and handed him the last plate. "Mysteries of life," He uttered. "Though, for me, Makoto is a floating life saver in the middle of the ocean, and I'm like someone who can't swim. I naturally just need him in my life."

Kagami smiled. "That's an ironic analogy. Heh." He dried the last plate and set it on top of the rest of the stack. "Makoto-senpai told me that the both of you were inseparable since when you were kids. Stuff like 'there's no meaning in it if Haru is not there'. I can't believe he has he guts to say such embarrassing things out loud," he playfully scoffed.

"That Makoto..." Haruka sighed, the faintest blush growing on his cheeks. "You and Tetsuya-kun were the first of our Tokyo friends to know about our relationship. So he opens up easily to you both and says really shameless things."

"You really understand your partner, huh?" Kagami snickered, resting his hip against the counter.

"We both just do…ever since childhood," Haruka wistfully looked into the distance past the other man's shoulder. "But," he blinked. "He seems to be shutting me out recently. For the first time, I'm not quite sure what he's thinking." He rested his back against the counter, arms folded across his chest. "I've been thinking; this trip, his uneasiness…it's like he's trying to make up to me for something he did wrong. But I can't figure out what."

"I-It's really nothing like that!" Kagami spat out anxiously, his hands waving defensively in front of him.

Haruka watched him blankly in surprise at the sudden outburst then furrowed his brows at him. "Then what is it like?"

"Woah! I'm getting tired! Aaaawn!" The redhead feigned a yawn and stretched his arms into the air. "I guess I'll go take a bath first, 'night, Haruka-san!"

"Hey, Taiga-kun!" Haruka called out in his usual soft tone. But he only received a quick wave and grin from the younger man who rushed out of the kitchen shortly after. He breathed a frustrated breath of air out of his nostrils.

Kagami swerved out into the corridor, mumbling something along the lines of 'that was close'. It was not long before he met his husband who paused at the genkan.

"Everything alright?" He asked monotonously.

"Ahh! I'm not gonna hold another conversation with Haruka-san until this trip is done!" The taller man threw his arms into the air and made his way to the guest room, leaving Kuroko tilting his head to the side in confusion.

The bluenet went into the living room, hearing the sound of the distant rolling waves echoing through the opened sliding doors. He watched the cloudless night sky and the almost-full moon that glowed with a refreshing light. Then he peered out to the hill, catching sight of Makoto's back.

Makoto filled his lungs with the soothing smell of the sea. He already procrastinated for two days; he needed to set his plans in motion. Otherwise the whole trip to Iwatobi would essentially have been for naught. He needed something to get the anxiety out of his system.

He twitched at the chime that sounded from his pocket suddenly. Some text messages came in – he flipped his phone open, revealing a photo of Rin, Sousuke and Aomine together giving him a thumbs-up for encouragement; the three dogs sat at their feet with their usual open-mouthed smiles.

 _From Rin:_

 _Almost forgot to send this. Good luck this weekend from all of us! Lemme know once Haru says 'yes'!_

 _From Sousuke:_

 _Send photos for proof too._

Makoto chuckled, sighing quietly. He typed a thank-you reply along with a promise for a mass text to everyone. He paused for a second, however, when uncertainty swept him over and an ominous feeling crept behind him.

"Makoto-san."

"Ahh!"

The brunet's skin erupted in goosebumps before he turned around to meet the phantom-like bluenet.

"Sheesh, Tetsuya-kun," he breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. "I really needed that."

"I'm very sorry for startling you." Kuroko looked at him with little to no expression on his face.

"No, no. I'm not being sarcastic. I really needed that to alleviate some of the stress," Makoto explained with a chuckle.

Kuroko only blinked. "I can't seem to find any reason why you should be stressed. Haruka-san's answer is most likely going to be 'yes'."

"Oh no, it's not that I'm worried about. It's just…." The brunet hesitated for a moment, but his face eventually sank into a sheepish frown. "I still haven't really…decided exactly on how I will propose."

"…"

"…"

"…You haven't?"

"…No, I…haven't."

Kuroko's mouth hung slightly agape. "Oh my," he only managed say.

"I know!" Makoto whined. "I wanted to think of the perfect plan, and I kind of did. Then I started over-thinking, and I still haven't really decided. But I just know it has to be here in Iwatobi!" He started panicking.

The younger man hummed in thought. "That's a good start," he said. "And I think that your original perfect plan would be the best."

"It would?" Makoto blinked.

"If you keep over-thinking, you'll only be more confused. Take Kagami-kun for example," Kuroko explained, holding out his left hand to show his wedding ring. "He just went ahead with the proposal plan once he finished planning. And he made me really happy because he put thought into it." He slowly spun the ring with his thumb. "But honestly, I would have been really happy even if he only asked me to marry him." He showed a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it's the same with Haruka-san."

Makoto's face brightened. "Tetsuya-kun…" His shoulders somewhat relaxed with the clearing of his thoughts.

"So, why not go with what you originally planned?" Kuroko suggested.

"I guess I will," the brunet replied decisively, showing his signature smile. "Thank you, Tetsuya-kun."

Kuroko nodded. "Un."

Both men turned to look at the clear Saturday night sky that promised a refreshing morning to come.

CRASH!

Thunder rumbled across the gray skies the next day. Makoto pressed his nose against the window glass, staring at the downpour of rain that Sunday morning. With a sigh, his shoulders dropped in defeat.

Kagami and Kuroko watched him from the kitchen table, each wearing the exact same sympathetic, flat look on their faces.

"Poor guy," The redhead commented, absentmindedly petting the white kitten who sat next to his mug.

"The weather made a foul play." Kuroko took a sip of his tea with his husband nodding in agreement.

Suddenly, a chime sounded from Makoto's back pocket. The brunet pulled out his phone, flipping it open to check the message in his inbox.

 _From Rei:_

 _Good luck, Makoto-senpai! Your success rate is even higher than 100%!_

His phone chimed a second time, bringing in another text message. He perked up in surprise.

 _From Doctor Midorima:_

 _I heard from Kagami. Good luck today from Takao and I. Scorpio's, your lucky activity today is cooking nanodayo._

He chuckled to himself. News sure did travel fast, he thought. Just when he finished typing each a thank-you reply, Kuroko's voice broke through the quietness.

"Makoto-san, what will you do now?"

The older man turned around in the blink of an eye, a new-found hope in the fist that he pumped. "I can still make this work!" he confidently said.

* * *

Haruka curled up into a ball under the water in his bathtub. It felt nostalgic, feeling the cold waves and hearing the muffled droplets on the surface. All that was missing was the voice of his partner telling him that he had entered the bathroom – just like each morning since as far back as he could remember. In patient anticipation, he waited.

Waited.

And waited.

But no voice of any kind was heard. Haruka blew a puff of bubbles from his nostrils and resurfaced with a gasp. After flinging the drops of water from his hair, he opened his eyes which met the closed door. He blinked a couple of times, then lifted himself out of the tub.

In somewhat of a hurry, he put on a black t-shirt with a light-blue hooded jersey over and beige shorts. Without even a thought of breakfast, he peeked into every room until he reached the kitchen where he found what he was looking for.

"Good morning, Haru," Makoto greeted with the usual chuckle. He dressed a little more formal than usual that day, wearing a dark-blue and white-striped t-shirt; a dark-blue cardigan over; and beige capri pants that hugged his figure and rolled halfway up his calves.

"Ah," Haruka looked at the plate of grilled mackerel in his partner's hands, uttering a confused, "Good…morning…"

Makoto lifted the plate to show before he placed it down on the table. "I made breakfast – your favorite! Well, brunch, really – since it's near afternoon now. I was busy grilling this, so I didn't come get you in the tub this morning." He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

Haruka eyed the perfectly grilled mackerel, then at the other man. "It actually looks good," he commented before taking a seat.

"Un, I'm glad you think so," The brunet blushed with a shy smile. "I asked Taiga-kun to teach me. It took forever and a lot of patience…Ah! A lot of Taiga-kun's patience, actually." He laughed sheepishly. "But I'm finally able to make this. Try it!"

Haruka watched his partner with curious, pristine eyes. For once, he could not pinpoint what Makoto was thinking. But he decided to go along with it; and so he dug his chopsticks into the mackerel and savoured the first bite.

"How is it?" The brunet asked calmly.

Haruka swallowed. He may have been biased, but his cheeks flustered as a wave of emotion splashed onto him. He gave Makoto one of his rarest smiles, and Makoto thought he was about to freeze for the rest of his life in that spot.

"It's very delicious," Haruka complimented with the utmost sincerity.

Makoto's face brightened. He reached a hand over to lace his fingers with Haruka's.

"Then I promise I'll cook this for you every morning – for the rest of our lives." He proclaimed.

Haruka was at a loss for words. He only hung his mouth open like a fish out of water until Makoto jumped in his seat excitedly.

"No way!" He said in awe. "The rain actually stopped." He laughed in disbelief.

Haruka gazed out the window to the peering sunlight and remaining droplets of water on the glass. A moment later, an open palm reached out to him; Makoto smiled as brightly as the light outside.

"Let's go out for a walk, Haru," he murmured. "I want to take you somewhere with lots of memories."

The sous-chef blinked, eyes widening a little as he raised his shoulder in anticipation. "Will there be a pool there?"

"No, there isn't." Makoto laughed, but pondered for a second. "Well, actually, it's bigger than a pool-"

"Then let's go." Haruka firmly grasped his outstretched hand.

The brunet chortled. As he led his partner out the door, he shone a charming smile at him – only to have the shorter man bashfully look away. Makoto took the chance to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek before he turned forward with the wheels turning in his mind.

The couple walked down to the bottom of the stone staircase. Right when they reached the bottom, Makoto gently jerked Haruka's arm to stop him. He pointed to the beach across the street.

"Haru, I think it was our third year of highschool when we confessed to each other?" He asked. "I remember it was there."

Haruka looked towards the view of the sea, then turned to his partner. "It was exactly there; the day after we graduated." He raised a brow. "What brought this up all of a sudden?"

Makoto showed another bubbly smile. "Lots of fond memories were made there, huh?" He chortled wistfully.

"Yeah," Haruka absentmindedly watched the waters in the distance that reflected the fresh, new bright sky that had just cleared away the rainy clouds.

"Ah, the beach is empty. Lucky us; the people must have left before from the rain. Let's go!" Makoto chirped excitedly, taking his partner by the hand and leading him across the street to the pier and onto the sandy shore. The wet grains pressed together under the soles of his shoes. "This is perfect. Haru, do you want to build a sand-" He looked up to find that his partner had already stripped down to his jammers, thrown his clothes aside and rushed into the clear waters. "…castle?" Makoto's voice trailed off, followed by a chuckling sigh. "As usual."

After a moment of watching his partner, he was shaken out of his concentration by the beeping in his back pocket yet again. A message came from Nagisa.

 _From Nagisa:_

 _Just landed in Iwatobi with Ryou-chan and taking our breaks. Finally can answer my texts! We both send you a 'Fighto, Mako-chan!' \\(^o^)/ Let's throw a party to celebrate you newlyweds!_

Makoto chortled. He felt glad that everyone had confidence in him; he could not let them down.

While Haruka swam along the shoreline, the brunet sat on his ankles, piling the sand into a little hill. He flattened the peak and piled another layer on top, carefully shaping the castle.

* * *

Haruka emerged from the water surface, pulling himself up on the shoreline. After brushing the droplets of water from his hair, he focused his vision to a clear view of Makoto on the sandy beach.

The brunet held out his arms with a bubbly smile, beckoning his partner to come to him.

"What is with that smile?" Haruka approached him. "It looks mischievous."

"Huh?" Makoto laced their fingers together. "Oh, well, I made a sand castle!" He pointed to the little structure just a few feet away.

The castle was a little under three feet high; it looked more like a two-layered cake rather. The base layer had a tunnel dug through to the other side. The whole structure was somewhat lop-sided.

"As usual, your artistic skills are really something," Haruka deadpanned.

"So mean!" Makoto whined playfully. "Anyway, I have a gigantic problem, Haru." He showed his usual cheery smile.

The sous-chef gave him a skeptical look.

"I lost something in the sand. I was wondering if you could help me find it?" The brunet sheepishly chuckled. "Since we're said to perfectly understand each other and you always find things that I lose, maybe you'll be able to find it – that something that I misplaced."

Haruka sighed through his nose, wearing the tiniest smile. "Alright. What does it look like? What IS that thing, as a matter of fact?"

"Um, well, it's dark-blue and about this big." Makoto circled his fingers and thumbs together to show the size of the lost item.

Haruka looked even more confused as he titled his head to the side. "It'd help if you gave me more information," he said.

"I-It's hard to explain." Makoto was beginning feel nervous. "Kind of…you'll know when you'll find it?"

Haruka showed a flat look and sighed through his nose again as he decided to play along. "Ok. I'll do my best."

"Un!" Makoto chirped.

The couple searched through every dune, kicking away the piles of sand that glowed a bright, sunlit hue. It was…reminiscing.

"I remember when we were little, we'd take turns burying seashells along this beach and go on treasure hunts." Haruka said with a wistful snort. "It started to get boring at one point when we figured each other out every time."

Makoto laughed. "Yeah, I collected them all in a shoebox. Then when we moved in together, I was so surprised when you added your collection to mine."

"Hm." Haruka's lips briefly quirked into a smile. He continued nudging the sands away with his foot. "You know," he said, "there was that one day when I found that abalone shell that you buried – the one with the shiny, green and blue, wavy pattern on the inside…"

"Oh yeah! I remember! The one sitting on our shelf at home, right?" Makoto's face brightened.

"Yeah. I kept that one out because it's special." Haruka mumbled shyly, ducking his head away from his partner's view.

The brunet smiled sheepishly. "Ah…I said something very embarrassing about that, huh?"

"Something like 'Haru-chan, this is my wedding gift to you for now. When we get older, will you marry me?'" Haruka snorted loudly.

"Haru!" Makoto's face flustered profusely while his partner burst into quiet chuckles.

Haruka breathed out a satisfied sigh. "To me, that was one of our fondest memories here," he said. "There's too many to list just one."

Makoto paused to stare at his partner. The corners of his lips lifted into a smile. "Haru…"

Haruka glanced at the brunet before turning away shyly. He focused his attention on the sand castle just a few meters away. It definitely looked dilapidated, he thought to himself with a snort. But wait…sand castle. He walked to the tiny structure.

"Did you drop it near here when you were building the sand castle?" He asked, but just when he stood above the castle, déjà vu brought him to a standstill. He remembered standing exactly where he was as a child and staring into a pile of sand where the castle then stood. He squinted skeptically when he peered into the tunnel through the base of the castle. "Back then, that abalone shell was buried in this same…" He sat on his ankles, catching sight of a small box under the tunnel. "Dark blue…" he repeated his partner's description of the lost item which he reached out to take. "Makoto," he turned around on his ankles and held the box out to the brunet. "What is this?"

Makoto only slowly sat down in front of him, all the while locking his gaze with Haruka's. "Treasure," he simply muttered.

Haruka stared at him blankly before he gazed at the box. Carefully, he flipped it open to reveal two rings perched on the cushioning support within. His eyes shined, reflecting the blue gem on one ring, and the green gem on the other. Each band was silver; a dolphin and orca whale design extending upwards, swimming above and below each other with the gem in between. Haruka was lost for words.

"Haru," Makoto gently took hold of the box with one hand and held his partner's hand with the other. He placed one knee on the sandy floor. "You didn't answer me properly when I asked you back then. And I didn't ask properly anyway. That being said," With a gentler voice, he proceeded, "I must be one of the lucky people in this world to have found their other half – just like the orca and dolphin in these rings. And you've been there with me for the longest time. There's really no meaning if you're not there. So, Nanase Haruka-san..."

"...Makoto." Haruka gasped.

The brunet's irises shimmered with desire as he continued. "Will you marry me? Even if it's unofficial?"

His voice was calm and soothing, just like the waters that rolled into the shoreline. But his words sparked happiness that Haruka could never feel with anyone else. And with that, the shorter man gazed back with ocean-blue eyes that had waters rolling out from their own shorelines.

The last time Haruka smiled that widely and chuckled with tears of happiness was so long ago – it surprised Makoto a little. Haruka sniffled and continued his chortles with shades of pink colouring his cheeks; it was an expression that the brunet would probably never forget for the rest of his life. He was just so in love with this man.

"Un," Haruka managed to nod.

Although Makoto expected the answer, his breath caught in his throat almost like he could not believe the response. "Really?" He asked in excitement.

"Yes, you dummy." The shorter man smiled.

Makoto's mouth hung a little open; two droplets of tears slipped down his cheeks as he bit his lower lip and whimpered.

"Makoto…" Haruka managed to utter between his teary chuckles. "Hold it together." He held up the box. "Let's put the rings on."

"Un!" The brunet sniffled loudly as he nodded.

He gently took hold of Haruka's left hand, slipping the green-gemmed ring onto the ring finger. Haruka then held onto Makoto's left hand as he slowly put the blue-gemmed ring onto the ring finger, burning the moment into his memory. They stared at the matching bands that showed a new gleam, signaling a new milestone of their lives together.

Both men watched each other lovingly, cheeks pinked, tears streaming generously. Makoto lunged forward to latch onto Haruka who returned the embrace just as longingly. The brunet bawled, eventually turning his cries into laughter while his husband chuckled louder than usual. They hugged each other as close as possible, their chests swept over with happiness as shimmering as the seas that reflected the bright sunlight.

"Another fond memory here," Haruka whispered.

"Yeah."

The shorter man suddenly stood up, lifting the brunet to his feet as well. "So that's why you three were so secretive these days." He pouted a little.

"Sorry," Makoto chirped with a laugh. He wrapped the light-blue jersey over his husband's shoulders and pulled him into a hug by the sleeves. "They agreed to help me with my plan to make you my Tachibana Haru-chan." He dove in for a kiss, but Haruka gently placed two fingers on his lips to stop his advance.

"Even though we are married, the '-chan' suffix is still forbidden," he stated firmly.

"Ehhhh?" Makoto dropped his shoulders in dejection. Though a second later, he smiled confidently and switched to a huskier voice. "Then how about ' _Haruka_ '?"

The shorter man only looked to the ground with heated cheeks. "You already…call me like that…in…bed." He bashfully nuzzled into the brunet's collarbone, eliciting an amused chuckle from him. "I like the way that you call me 'Haru'. The way you say my name, with your voice, is most endearing…" His voice softened to a whisper. "…as my husband."

Makoto's mind blanked into passion. He lifted Haruka's chin to smother him with a long, fervent kiss. They only broke away once to take a breath and lock gazes before diving into each other again. For that glimpse of a moment, they caught sight of the longing arousal in each other's irises.

They quickly gathered the rest of Haruka's scattered clothes and made their way back home for another part of the ritual as newlyweds.

* * *

"Do a cool pose, Kagami-kun," Kuroko demanded while steadying his camera for a good view of his husband and the surroundings in the back.

They stopped for a little picnic up at an old, wooden gazebo that they found up a hill. The view was spectacular; the mixed blue colours of the sea washing the warm shores could be seen clearly. Not to mention the foliage hanging over the roof and in the trees across the sea complimented the waters with a refreshing green. Sightseeing was not just an excuse to give the older couple some alone time. It was an opportunity to build the Kagami-Kuroko photo album.

"I don't know what kind of pose you're talking about," Kagami clicked his tongue as he awkwardly sat on the fencing of the gazebo.

"That. Hold that right there." Kuroko hovered his finger over the shutter. "Your annoyed face is kind of cool."

"Huh?!" The redhead contorted his face into a playful scowl.

Right when Kuroko wanted to press the shutter, both of their phones rang their individual chimes. The couple simultaneously took out their phones, each sharing the same bright smile when they opened their messenger app.

Makoto sent a mass photo message to everyone; the newlywed couple were shown huddled close together and smiling at the camera with their hands lifted to exhibit the rings.

"Makoto-san and Haruka-san's eyes are all puffy – they both were crying," Kuroko lightly chuckled.

"Haha, I think this is the first time I've seen them this happy," Kagami commented. "Woah! The flood of texts are coming in!" He quickly started typing a message on his phone's keyboard.

 _From Matsuoka Rin:_

 _\- Congraaaaaats! About time!_

 _From Ryuugazaki Rei:_

 _\- What a beautiful moment! I promise that I am not crying! Wishing you both happiness!_

 _From Yamazaki Sousuke:_

 _ _-_ Are those custom-made rings? And congratulations._

 _From Aomine Daiki:_

 _-_ ' _Grats._

 _From Matsuoka Rin:_

 _ _-_ Hey! Say it properly, Daiki!_

 _From Aomine Daiki:_

 _-_ ' _Grats, Makoto-san._

 _From Midorima Shintaro:_

 _ _-_ Scorpio and Cancers are one of the very best sign matches – it was destined nanodayo. Congratulations from Takao and I. May you both be forever happy._

 _From Aomine Daiki:_

 _ _-_ Senpai punched me! Makoto-san, I'm telling you, please take me in as your kouhai!_

 _ _-_ Ww Yeah, yeah, congratulations, Makoto-san and Nanase-san. _

_From Kagami Taiga:_

 _ _-_ Congratulations, senpai and Haruka-san! What do you guys wanna eat after? I'll cook to celebrate!_

 _From Kuroko Tetsuya:_

 _ _-_ I will help. Congratulations, Makoto-san and Haruka-san. May you both be eternally in happiness._

 _From Hazuki Nagisa:_

 _ _-_ Uwaahaaaa! _YE━━━━━━ d(゜∀゜)b ━━━━━━S _'Congratulations, newlyweds' from Ryou-chan!_

 _ _-_ And lots of hugs from me! We have to celebrate!_

 _From Kagami Taiga:_

 _ _-_ Sousuke-san, they're kind of custom. _

__-_ The store just changed the gemstones according to what senpai wanted. _

_From Matsuoka Rin:_

 _ _-_ Cool!_

 _ _-_ Yeah, Nagisa! Long time no see! Party!_

 _From Yamazaki Sousuke:_

 _ _-_ Wow! Anyway, happy for the couple. _

_From Murasakibara Atsushi:_

 _ _-_ Knew you could do it, Bana-chin~~ Congrats~~_

 _ _-_ Party at my restaurant after hours. I'll bake some extra desserts~~~_

 _From Kagami Taiga:_

 _ _-_ For serious?!_

 _From Murasakibara Atsushi:_

 _ _-_ Serious~~~_

 _From Matsuoka Rin:_

 _ _-_ Woah! Thank you very much in advance, Murasakibara-san!_

 _From Hazuki Nagisa:_

 _ _-_ Hi Rin-chan!_

 _ _-_ I second Murasakibara-san for the party!_

 _From Murasakibara Atsushi:_

 _ _-_ Yay~~ _(=゜ω゜)人(゜ω゜=)

 _From Hazuki Nagisa:_

 _ _-_ Hooray! _(=゜ω゜)人(゜ω゜=) _So Mako-chan, when can we party?!_

 _From Kuroko Tetsuya:_

 _ _-_ It might be a few hours before we get a reply from Makoto-san, it seems._

 _From Kagami Taiga:_

 _ _-_ Oh yeah…they must be doing…that, huh?_

 _From Matsuoka Rin:_

 _ _-_ Pretty damn likely since we're getting the silent treatment from him right now…heh. Ask him for us when you both go back, will you, Taiga?_

 _From Kagami Taiga:_

 _ _-_ In a few hours. I'll try…_

The messenger conversation came to silence at that. Everyone waited patiently and went back to their own activities.

Nagisa swiped his thumb over his phone's screen, scrolling through the messages while pulling onto the handle of his rolling luggage. He absentmindedly followed the taller pilot's lead as they made their way back to their gate.

"We're going to celebrate Mako-chan and Haru-chan's marriage! Wanna come along?" He chirped.

"Oh, sure," Kise replied, though he paused to reflect on his answer. "Wait, I just recently met Tachibana-san! Are you sure he'd invite me?"

"Sure he would! We're new friends after all! Besides, Tetsu-chan and Tai-chan will be there too." Came Nagisa's cheerful reply. "We're all waiting for Mako-chan's answer though." He showed his phone screen to Kise.

"Ah, well, let me know." He glanced at the messages, but nearly tripped over his own feet when he came to a sudden stop and grabbed onto Nagisa's wrist. "Wait!" He swiped his finger over the screen to scroll through the names of the people in the messenger conversation.

"What's wrong, Ryou-chan?" The first officer blinked.

The names and tones of their messages matched in eerie coincidence. Kise could not believe his eyes and felt a little skeptical. Back in Tokyo, Midorima, Aomine, and Murasakibara stared at their own phones with the same feeling. At that moment, they all harboured the same simultaneous thought.

"…Nah."

They put their phones aside and returned to their daily routines.

* * *

The younger couple returned to Haruka's old home with bags of groceries that they bought along the way. By then, it was evening, and high time for dinner – Kagami's stomach grumbled at the thought. When they opened the door with the spare key, they stopped at the _genkan_ with a bit of reluctance to enter further.

Makoto and Haruka's clothes were scattered in a path that went up the stairs to their room. If they have not picked them up, they were most likely still…

Haruka ran down to the bottom of the stairs, appearing with only a pair of navy boxers on and an over-sized, dark-blue cardigan (Makoto's). He backed against the wall with the faintest smile on his face as fast steps hurried down the stairs.

Makoto appeared, wearing only a pair of dark green boxers. His arms were outstretched to mimic a pair of fins. "Here comes the orca-whale-san to eat up mackerel-san!" He jumped off the last step to latch onto and block his husband from running. "Thanks for the meal! I won't hold back!" He pressed his lips against the shorter man's cheek for a long, wet kiss.

"Makoto!" Haruka chuckled, squishing his eyes shut from the tickling sensation of the kiss.

The couple froze however, when they felt two pairs of blank eyes staring at them. They slowly looked towards the _genkan_ , finding the younger couple as still as statues.

"Ehehe! Welcome back, you two," Makoto chirped sheepishly.

"We're back," Kagami and Kuroko called out monotonously as they quickly kicked off their shoes and rushed past the newlyweds, their faces tinged in a red that grew.

"Continue, continue. Don't mind us, newlyweds," Kuroko teased as he swerved into the kitchen.

"Food, food; gonna make food to refuel the newlyweds' lost energy," Kagami chanted, following his husband to further embarrass the older couple. "Oh," He peeked his head out from the kitchen. "Check your messages, senpai." He proceeded to shut the sliding door behind him.

"Messages?" The brunet blinked. "Oh!" He let go of Haruka and bent down to pick up his pants and retrieve the phone from the back pocket. "Everyone sent their congratulatory wishes to us," he said to his husband as he scrolled through the messages. "Murasakibara-san is also offering to hold the celebration at the restaurant after hours!" He beamed.

Haruka snuggled close to him. "This coming Friday, maybe?"

"Let's see what everyone says," Makoto excitedly typed a reply. "Uwah!" He suddenly flustered immensely when he scrolled up the messages. "Taiga-kun! Don't imply to everyone what Haru and I were doing!"

"After your successful proposal, we all know what senpai and Haruka-san were doing!" Came a comical roar from the kitchen.

* * *

 **A/N** : Agh! Fanfiction messed up the formatting of the messenger conversation. This is the best I could do to make it look less weird. Oh my.

Anyway, I managed to kick in some Kagami and Haruka interaction, which I realized I completely overlooked before. I find it very sweet that Makoto's old _and_ new friends took the time to wish him good luck. Murasakibara did not even bother because he was subject to their daily lovey-doveyness – 'it was only a matter of time they got married~~'. No luck needed. Haha! Hope the short messenger interaction was a nice treat too! Next chapter is the long-awaited gathering!

(1) Flip Smartphones: The messenger app that they all were using is something similar to Whatsapp (only available for smartphones). I was like "Crap! They mostly use flip phones, though! Do flip Smartphones exist?! *Googles* Well, I'll be damned." I kind of want one now...Let's pretend they owned these when they grew up.

(2) Makoto and Haruka's Sign compatibility: No joke; Scorpio (Makoto) and Cancers (Haruka) are said to have the best romantic compatibilities. The 'Free!' writers must have researched these details, or it was pure coincidence. I opt to believe the former.

(3) (=゜ω゜)人(゜ω゜=) and \\(^o^)/: These are called 'kaomoji' (face emoji). You'll see a variety of them in Japanese text messages. I figured Nagisa would pop a whole lot of Murasakibara's childish way of speech would also fall into this habit, I believe. Hehe!


End file.
